Category: Blogging

Hopes for the new year regarding blogging

Instead of a quote, Dr Tanya has chosen something different for today :

sign posts saying hope, regrets

In the image above, the sign saying HOPE points forwards and the sign saying REGRETS points backwards.

January is a good time to take stock of everything, your life, career, dreams or blog. Today I ask you to share your HOPES for your blog in 2022 as well as your REGRETS (if any).

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This year will be mostly like last year in terms of blogging.

I will be sticking to my schedule of posting 3 posts daily, on most days, except Mondays, and for January, when I may post 4 times a day because of JusJoJan.

The writing will be mostly in response to prompts, words and images. I do have some plans/ hopes of collaborating with Dr. Tanya for the A to Z Challenge. Let’s see how that pans out.

I was also thinking of compiling some of my poems into an e-book. This is a very ambitious venture and I have taken the first step of buying a Mac laptop. I hope that I can get this book published as an ebook on kindle. But I have to learn a thousand things before I can even start. Well that’s why we hope and dream so that one day we can actually do it!

I am very happy that I’ve organized my WP reader so that now all the blogs I follow are all showing there and I can read them almost daily.

As for regrets, I don’t think I have any regrets that are in regards to blogging. I thoroughly enjoy my blogging and am so happy that I took this road.

So here are my hopes and aspirations for my blog for this year/ future!

What your hopes and regrets regarding blogging?

Written for Blogging Insights NF # 26, hosted by Dr. Tanya

Carpe diem – Seizing the moment

Tanya’s quote for today is:

“Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect”

As Tanya said in her post, this quote can be equally relevant to blogging as it is to life in general.

Unless one is a professional blogger who is making money out of their blog, we have to make time to blog. Life, family, and job considerations all have to be given priority before we can turn towards our blog.

That perfect idea or that perfect moment where everything is in sync for us to write seldom, or if ever happens. Any time when you are free, or when you get a good idea for a post should be utilized and with a bit of effort, a post can be created.

My own experience in this regard is that if I spend a lot of time on a post, it seldom generates interest in my readers, and a post written quickly to meet my own set deadline gets many more views and comments.

To summarize, I can say that writing a blog post when we have little time can produce good results and maybe the best use of your free time. The bottom line is: keep on writing whenever you have time or idea, don’t try for perfection.

Written for Blogging Insights NF # 25, hosted by Tanya

#Keepitalive

#BloggingInsights

Do I have a story inside me?

This week Dr.Tanya invites us to ponder on this quote;

“You’ve got a new story to write and it looks nothing like your past.”

Writing a short story for one of the many blog prompts is never difficult for me. I’m often flattered by the desire of my readers for me to write a longer story/book-length tale. And my response invariably is that I don’t have that talent.

As for being inspired to write a new post every day it is not difficult but are all my posts different from each other?

I have published more than 6000 posts in around 39 months. A lot of posts and I do try to vary the topics, my style of writing, and often my view of the given topic, but it is one mind that is creating that content and invariably, the ideas get repeated. It will be a person with a huge collection of ideas and words who can produce something different every day, without repeating themselves.

So I do agree with Tanya that even if the ideas are new, the writer is the same and we are bound to repeat ourselves.

Written for Blogging Insights NF # 24, hosted by Tanya

#Keepitalive

#BloggingInsights

Practice make an expert?

This week Tanya has given us this quote to consider in regard to blogging;

TODAY’S QUOTE:

the expert in anything quote

“The expert in everything was once a beginner.”

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Our learning process starts when we are born. As we grow older, we start learning. Gradually we chose a field that interests us and try to be good at it.

Not everyone reaches the level of an expert but with effort, we can become very good at what we like to do. Blogging is the same.

Before I started blogging, my experience of writing and formatting on a computer was practically non-existent. I learned the intricacies of the technical aspect of blogging as I went along. How to select a theme, how to place a header, how to make a logo for my blog, all these took tedious and frustrating eons of time. I’m still not very tech-savvy and once I have selected my theme etc with the help of a very good blogging friend of mine, Dr Tanya, I haven’t messed with it.

The writing part wasn’t very difficult for me, though it was a new experience too. It may be that I’m not writing research-oriented posts, but mostly poems and topics that I know about.

I don’t claim to be an expert in blogging, perhaps a mid-level skill would be an accurate description. I have learned a lot about how to write clearly and concisely so that the reader gets my meaning on the first read.

One of my posts that deals with this is;

Secret to a successful blog

Another post dealing with the writing process;

What is your writing style?

Learning to use the block editor was a challenge but due to the kind guidance of expert bloggers, I am now comfortable with it too. In fact I have found a lot of advantages in its use.

Thanks Dr. Tanya for this prompt.

Written for Blogging Insights NF 23# , hosted by Tanya

#Keepitalive

#BloggingInsights

An endeavor worth undertaking

This week Tanya has asked us to opine about this quote;

nothing worth doing is ever easy quote

“Nothing worth doing is ever easy”

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We, the human species seldom appreciate what is easy. I look at my grandson who likes to play games on his X-box. He gets bored easily of games he can beat in the first or second try. He, like the rest of the species, likes a challenge.

The same holds true when it comes to blogging. In our part of the blogosphere, many bloggers are of an older age group. Some had already been using computers while others learned to use WordPress on their devices when they started to blog. And that is not easy, as Dr. Tanya said in her post.

And the difficulty lies not only in the technical aspect of blogging but in the writing and organizing of the posts as well. Like Tanya, I learned both the technical part and the actual writing of blogging as I went along. And it wasn’t easy. The writing and formatting of the earlier posts was a process full of frustration and agony. I was lucky that when I started my blog, Tanya was there to guide me.

And when we talk of difficult, how can we forget what the introduction of the dreaded “ Block editor” did to our confidence. Many seasoned bloggers refused to use it till it was forced upon us. Now most of us even prefer it to the classic editor.

In short, I would say that this blogging journey though fraught with difficulties was something that has enriched my life. I’ve learned a lot from it. Blogging has broadened my mind and outlook, has improved my skill of writing and I have gained countless good friends all over the globe.

Written for Blogging Insights NF # 22, hosted by Dr.Tanya

#Keepitalive

#BloggingInsights

Blogging needs a backbone!

This week Dr. Tanya has asked our opinion about this quote in regards to Blogging.

To thrive in life quote

To thrive in life you need three bones. A wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone.

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I think to thrive in life we do need a strong backbone. And of course, having a good sense of humor can save us in many situations in life. And we do need a bit of luck now and then to make things click together.

Same is true for blogging.

Not everyone needs these qualities because we all blog for different reasons. If a person blogs to randomly record their thoughts, work through their issues or just to get a bit of writing practice, they don’t need any of the three qualities.

But for a serious blogger, all these are a requirement, perhaps luck not that much, but determination and humor are necessary to make something of their blog.

Starting a blog is easy, anyone can do it. To persevere in blogging you need determination. I think it’s the most needed quality one needs to have. To succeed, you have to be consistent in your posting schedule. Putting aside some time to create a post and publishing it according to the schedule you have set for yourself is important.

A sense of humor is needed when problems raise their heads. Problems like glitches in the platform you’re using, or the technical difficulties that are a part and parcel of blogging process. Sometimes you also need a sense of humor to rescue you from unpleasant comments people can leave on your posts.

And to find your place in the blogging community, you need a bit of luck. If your posts are being read by like-minded people, you’ll generate more interaction regarding your blog.

To sum it up, determination is what gets your blog going, a sense of humor will help you stay here and luck will have you connecting with your sort of people.

Thanks, Tanya for this thought provoking quote.

Written for Blogging Insights NF # 21, hosted by Tanya

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#Keepitalive

#BloggingInsights

If I am being honest about “ Likes”

Frank, the PC guy asks;

My question to you this week is, exactly how important are likes to you on your blog, and how do you determine if you are going to click like on other bloggers’ posts?

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I have read so many posts and comments about the “Like” button. Frankly, and honestly, it doesn’t make much of a difference to me when I get a lot of likes on my posts or a few. I know that out of the so-called 4500+ followers of my blog, a mere 2-3% of people actually read and interact with me on my blog.

A like is the first indication that someone was here. They might or might not have read the post. The really important indicator is a comment. Though not everyone who had read a post will comment. Most feel that they don’t have anything to add to previous comments. Some are too busy and others may not find themselves in full agreement with the post but are being polite.

When do I click the like button?

I like and read all the posts from my favorite bloggers, who I consider my friends. Sometimes I don’t click the like button because the post is not what I agree with. Or am comfortable with it. And sometimes I do click the like button because I am short of time and want to show the blogger that I was here.

#Keepitalive

#TruthfulTuesday

Be original, be innovative

This week Dr.Tanya has given us this quote to consider in regards to Blogging;

don't be the same, be better quote

Don’t be the same, be better.

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I think we can apply this quote to blogging in two ways.

1• Don’t be the same as someone else, be original;

Originality is a quality that is very much appreciated, specially in writing. Some people mistakenly think that there is a winning formula where blogging is concerned. That is very far from the truth. What works for one blogger won’t work for another as it would be a copy and not original. We can be impressed and inspired by someone else to the degree that we may like to copy their style, but it is way better to learn from that blogger and their writing style and then apply it your own writing.

2• Bring variety in your writing;

This part is easier said than done. We instinctively gravitate towards our favorite subjects, and unless we make a deliberate effort, we tend to write in the same style with which we are comfortable. The secret to improving and adding to our writing style is to read. Reading what others write, be it books or blogs, brings maturity to our writing. Reading also adds to our ways of expressing ourselves and to our vocabulary. I always am attracted to a book or a blog that is written in a unique way, either the subject or the narrative, and it holds my attention automatically.

Experimenting with unfamiliar styles is also a great way to grow as a writer. Do things that you are hesitant to do. Like attempt poetry or fiction. Stepping out of our comfort zone enriches our writing in many ways. It also helps us to find our niche.

Written for Blogging Insights- NF # 20, hosted by Tanya

Thank you, Tanya for this very thought provoking quote!

#Keepitalive

#BloggingInsights

Sunday Poser # 57

Welcome back to another Sunday Poser

We have a whole galaxy of blog titles. Some are simply named after the blogger and others hold an aura of mystery. Sometimes we don’t even know the name or handle of the blogger and have no way of addressing them by name unless we want to call them by their blog name!

My blog is called, “Keep it alive” and my blogging moniker is Sadje. Though Sadje is not my real name, it’s close to my real name and gives something to others to address me by.

I titled my blog Keep it alive because I had seen too many women of my age , empty nesters who weren’t doing much with their lives. Just existing, not living with gusto. I wanted to inspire them to live fully, and hence the name.

This is the story behind my blog name/ title. What is yours?

Please share your thoughts in the comments section or you can write your own post and link it to this one so that I can find it. Thanks for visiting and reading.

#Keepitalive

#SundayPoser

Do not give up!

This week Dr. Tanya has asked us to opine on this quote in regard to blogging insights;

“If you get tired, learn to rest, not quit.”

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I have followed so many bloggers that have quit blogging. I don’t know why they just abandoned their blogs but lack of motivation is one of the reasons. Some of them had some issues which prevented them from blogging.

So while it’s very understandable that life intrudes in the blogging journey, quitting it altogether may not be the only option. Taking a break, a hiatus can be one way of dealing with this. Another way is to reduce the number of times one posts during the day, week, or month. Posting less is always better than stopping completely.

When I started to blog I used to post infrequently at first and then I started to post daily. When I discovered the daily and weekly prompts, I was at times posting 6-7 times a day. This was a schedule that I was finding quite hectic. So to suit my convenience, I reduced the number of posts to 3 per day. And I stopped doing the daily prompts, regretfully. The merging of 4-5 daily prompts into one post/poem was a challenge that I enjoyed but it was stressful for me.

Currently, my way of organizing my posting schedule is to write the posts for the next day, the evening before. Sometimes I leave a slot free for the prompts that will be posted the next day so that I can respond to them the same day. Dr. Tanya’s Blogging Insights is one of them. And so is Melanie’s SYW. The rest of my posts are mostly pre-scheduled. This way I can relax for the day and blogging never becomes a chore that I have to do!

I agree with this quote in context to blogging. Don’t quit but find ways to manage your blogging. Use features like “pre-scheduling” to make life, and blogging easy for yourself. Remember that the community you build with your first post and first comment has taken a lot of effort and when you quit, you’ll lose this wonderful community.

Many thanks, Dr.Tanya for your continued discussion on blogging!

#Keepitalive

#BloggingInsights