SCL

How do I blog? Generally, I get an idea and think on it for several days as I wait to have time for writing on my blog. This allows the idea to marinate/stew and work itself out before I commit it to any form of text. Then I generally throw it all out there in one draft that immediately goes live (occasionally I have to edit and repost just minutes later as I discover typos). Since my readership is small and consists mostly of close friends and relatives, it matters less whether I can be as profound or eloquent as the idea first felt like it could be. But really, this is my approach to writing in general–get an idea and stew over it until the whole thing is formed and then get it written out all in one go. It's how I approach my fiction as well, and it drives my writing group crazy!

Until recently, I would write it the night before, because mine's simply going through the Old Testament looking for Jesus. But I've got to be more disciplined and get on it earlier! Lately I've waited 'til the day of to even look think about it. Bad news bears.

I only post twice a week, and I like to write my posts at least one day in advance so I don't feel a time pressure the day of the post. It also gives me a chance to look it over one more time.

All my blog posts are a stream of consciousness as and when I feel like writing a post. Sure I'm breaking all of the rules of blogging (I can hear the gasps from here) but i've not actually told many people about my blog so I'm not letting my readership down or anything like that.

Once an idea hits me, I jot it down and sit on it for a few days. Permitting I'm still into it a few days later, I'll draft it. This typically includes my iterating over the content a few times tweaking it to how I like it. Usually, I'll draft several at once then queue schedule 'em to go out.

Each day prior to when I'm publishing the post, I do one more read-over to make sure it's exactly how I want it (read: fits within the scope of the content I try to publish, says exactly what I want an nothing more, and so on). If not, I tweak it. Then I let it roll out.

Last December, I actually took a blog break during which I took a week off of blogging and came up with some ideas. Once that week was over, I revised the thoughts, organized a scheduled, and started drafting posts. This ended up actually in resulting in some momentum that's resulted in roughly five posts per week.

My posts, so far, have been very random and are usually written the day I post them. I've always been curious about how others do it. I love reading how everyone does it differently, and it's all so good for an amateur blogger like me to hear. Thanks for the post, Jon!

I wish egotistical rambling made every blogger's teeth hurt…

Good suggestions. We all have our own methods — some work. and many fail.

David
Red Letter Believers
http://www.redletterbelievers.com
"Salt and Light"

Good ideas. I'm going to try writing some ideas on my iPhone. I usually just add drafts to wordpress and then go through and delete/edit as I have time, but using my iPhone will help me catch more of those ideas that might otherwise fall through the cracks. Thanks!

I have two blogs. For my serious one I write about something I read in my daily Bible reading. That forces me to go a bit deeper with something I've read. The less serious one is for friends and family to know what is going on with us and the kids. With two kids I rarely lack something to write about.

I'm feeling very inadequate now. . . I just write it after my quiet time (since it's a blog about what God has shown me in my quiet time), read it through to catch any glaring errors, and, throwing caution to the wind, post. Actually, I'm not really feeling inadequate, b/c, for me, less pressure = more authentic posts. My audience is pretty much a handful of friends from church. . . Since authenticity is not easy for me, I think that's what I need to be doing right now. But that could just be laziness talking. . .

I try to post fairly soon after writing an entry, as they are often related to events in my life or in nature, so an entry about signs of spring can't wait until June. However, I do like to let each entry sit for at least a day, so I have time to look at it again and do some editing. And I do sometimes write "extra" entries when an idea hits me and set those aside for use in busy times when I might not have time to write. Many of my ideas come while driving or working outside, and I will work through them in my mind a bit, then write down some ideas, before putting it all together later.

I think the "sitting on it" part of an idea is one of the most important and the most neglected. Literary agent and author David Sanford once told me, "Give yourself time to simply brainstorm ideas. Let yourself make a list of things you can write about." That advice has been very helpful for me over the years.

Thanks for sharing!

I like that system. I'd like to try to use it, but I doubt I will.

I'll probably just keep on keeping on with my current system, writing a blog post from the office after catching up on greader/email/fb/twitter for 60-90 minutes or so.

My entire process looks a lot like your sprint draft phase.

I'm a lazy blog writer.

I usually get an idea the day before. So I can write it and read and reread it before posting it the next day. A lot of my examples come from the working out at the gym but nobody would know that unless I reveal that. Which I just did. There's something about jogging on the treadmill and watching the different channels that puts a lot of ideas in my head. I wish I could just make a blog about all the funny conversations I heard as well.

A part that I try to do without being too cheesy is talking about something in my life, or something I saw and then transitioning it over to the spirit realm. I try not to let it be like, "I parked in a handicap spot by accident, speaking of handicap, Jesus will carry you and heal you…"

I post a blog everyday at around the same time, so all 2 of my readers can be happy there's a new post. Even though other bloggers may not like the advertisements from other commentors, I think it's a smart thing to get traffic. Without further ado:

nicodemusatnite.blogspot.com

Oh come on, Jon. Let's be honest here. Anne Lamott did not call it a "crappy" first draft. *ahem*

Anyway, this is helpful, but it makes me feel like a sluggard. I think about my blog pretty much all the time, but when it's time to sit down and write a post (usually the night before–hey, kind of like college!), I just do it, proofread it, and schedule it to post the next day.

"The second thing it does is give me enough time to fall out of love with an idea. I need space between when I write and when I post to be as objective as I can with an idea."

This is such good advice. I'm really wishing right now that I'd heard it before… It may have saved me some heartache by keeping a few well-meaning Christians from reading posts that, had I waited, I probably never would have published. Iive and learn. thanks for the tips.

I'm pretty new at this blogging thing. I've only been doing it with any consistency since Oct. My method is to stew on an idea for a bit, then barf it out onto my laptop and hit "publish" as quickly as possible. I highly don't recommend it. It's just… stupid.

I have a book with a volcano on the front: that's my "idea" book. Most of it looks like doctor scribble because I'm writing an idea down while driving and not looking at the book. Doesn't matter, I can read it and I've captured the idea. Very important!
Then I dedicate one day a week to writing. Hopefully I get all 4 weekly posts done and if I'm on a roll, a few spare posts that sit as drafts.
Those spare posts have been lifesavers when my brain is parched and I have no writing inspiration or when I need to move a scheduled post off and replace it with a spare because the timing of my scheduled topic turns out to be awful…

I pretty much have the same process. I've got a notebook w/a notes section and a writing section. I also use the notes feature on my phone to jot down stuff when it comes to me. At any given time, I have about 5 or 6 different posts in varying stages of completion. I write out a draft in longhand or type it, depending on my mood. Then I have someone else read it, do a 2nd draft or 3rd draft, then schedule it.

Well, that was an enthralling and interesting comment! Not.

I usually write the night before. Wish I could get ahead and let the post sit for a couple of days.
Like the idea a lot.

This is really helpful, thanks!!

I typically will come up with an idea based on something I've read, some song I've heard, something I've done recently, and so on. I'll spend a few days thinking on it, I'll pray about it, and then start trying to write it. Sometimes the words just won't come, and then I know I need to step back because it's not time for me to write it yet. Typically, a few days (or sometimes weeks) later, the idea is still persistent, and God's shown me more about it– and then I can sit down and write it out.

I don't edit after writing as much as I should. If it's so long that I know no one will read it, I go in and brutally chop out sentences and paragraphs– but otherwise I check for spelling and grammar errors and leave it at that. I really need to learn to edit more, but often I'm so excited about a post after I write it that I'm too impatient to wait any longer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashmystir/4288763659...

When I blog, I find it a good habit to go to my local grocery store parking lot and blind tackle as many people as possible. If I am able to get away before the fuzz shows up, I make my way over to the gas station where I purchase and consume 7 Red Bull energy drinks. After about 2 days of blurred and choppy memories, I wake up in a dumpster with a sock monkey on my chest and a foul taste in my mouth. It's usually then that I am struck with an idea. If not, I come to this blog and get inspired by Jon. Bam. Blog awesomeness.

I let a post mull around in my head for a good six or eight weeks. Then when I'm not tired, not-PMSy, and there's nothing good on TV, I sit down and try to work up a good funny. Then I try to figure out what the point is to the post, all the while attempting to avoid paralysis of analysis or your standard emotional breakdown over "not being a good writer." If I pass all those barriers, I click "publish."

Man, I'm awesome.

I follow a similar process – write, ruminate, revise, then maybe post. Having drafts in queue has been very helpful, for days when I'm too busy to write or when my brain has atrophied. A helpful tip I picked up from another blogger is: POST REGULARLY. It doesn't have to be daily – but do be consistent. That way readers are motivated to check in. Making the transition from random posting to posting three times a week has increased my "hits" about ten-fold. And truthfully, we write because we want to communicate something to another person – knowing someone else is reading your blog is incredibly encouraging!

Hmmm… opening up the curtain on my mostly random process….

As Camera47 is a photography blog – I typically have two modes: (1) shoot & post or (2) write article.

In the "write article" posts – there's often a queue of 10-15 articles in some stage between "brainstorm" to "mostly done". This simmering process hopefully helps me trim big rambling text chunks. I've also found that sometimes I find things funny at midnight – and by the next morning, alongside a cup of coffee – they're just not all that funny – or concise – or any number of other errors. Then – I'll add links and images – one more sweep through – and then abandon and toss it out there.

No secret sauce here. Well, unless of course, you count the coffee.

I've started writing the day before I want to post a particular blog. Then the next morning when I wake up, I will look over that one again before I post it and then write the one for the next day. It seems to work pretty well. It also keeps my writing daily.

I generally write stream-of-consciousness in reaction to what happens in my classroom or if I run across something on my blogging journeys. I don't know if it's a good thing or not because my current readership runs in the half-dozens.

Typically I get inspired and hurry up and write it down. Then I wait for a day or two, just to be sure I actually want to the world to know my thoughts on the subject. If I decide to post it, I edit, then edit again, and again. Most of the time I cut around half of it because I'm very long-winded. Then I wait another day before reading it one last time, correcting the grammar mistakes I missed the first time (there's always more to find…), find an illustration to add in, tag and categorize it, and schedule it to post. I don't post every day or even every week. My readers seem to get beligerent if I over-do it, so I wait until my stats drop pretty low for a couple days and then I post something new. I've only been blogging for a year though and am learning as I go. A few times I've been particularly inspired and have written and posted almost immediately. That happens very rarely though and then I find myself going back in and editing after they're posted.

I usually think, "Oh, wow, Thursday again?" Pull something out of thin air and start typing…

Two years of seminary field education theological reflections written in the same manner must have trained me for blogging!