Writing Every day
There is currently an interesting discussion on the Blaugust: Festival of Blogging Discord Server about writing every day. It can be quite a polarising subject but the one thing that everyone agrees on is the fact that it is hard to do. A daily schedule requires multiple factors to come together to be sustainable. It is also fair to say that if you go about it unprepared, it will be a very hard learning curve. Ultimately it may not work out and then there is the risk of a bad experience negatively impacting upon your wider writing plans. Hence it is not something I would recommend to new bloggers or those who aren’t keen on a baptism of fire. Some writers like to test their metal and jumping feet first, into daily blogging may be the sort of challenge they seek. For everyone else I would urge them to plan a strategy and consider the following point if you wish to try it.
There is currently an interesting discussion on the Blaugust: Festival of Blogging Discord Server about writing every day. It can be quite a polarising subject but the one thing that everyone agrees on is the fact that it is hard to do. A daily schedule requires multiple factors to come together to be sustainable. It is also fair to say that if you go about it unprepared, it will be a very hard learning curve. Ultimately it may not work out and then there is the risk of a bad experience negatively impacting upon your wider writing plans. Hence it is not something I would recommend to new bloggers or those who aren’t keen on a baptism of fire. Some writers like to test their metal and jumping feet first, into daily blogging may be the sort of challenge they seek. For everyone else I would urge them to plan a strategy and consider the following point if you wish to try it.
Prepare posts and keep a list of writing prompts.
Remember, not every post has to be perfect.
Try to establish an appropriate time and place to write.
Write first, edit later.
Be experimental with your content.
Be prepared to fail and to learn from your mistakes.
Mental and physical health issues are legitimate impediments to daily blogging.
Finally, if you wish to write everyday then you have to be disciplined. More often than not, the biggest impediment to writing daily is the will to do so. We all have days where we don’t feel especially motivated or inspired to write and it becomes quite a struggle. There are also days when we simply can’t be bothered. Occasions when it is a clear choice between sitting down and writing, or having a tasty sandwich and watching cat videos (other distractions are available). This is not a Kobayashi Maru test. It simply needs discipline, focus and determination. If something is important, you find the time for it, to quote Hikaru Sulu. Ultimately if you really want to blog everyday then you will. You just have to put in the work.
Writing everyday isn’t for everybody. For many bloggers it isn’t even necessary. Yet for some reason, in certain quarters of the blogosphere, it is held up as some sort of test of character or gold standard. Such notions are bogus. Find what works for you and do that. If that means posting once a week, once a month or when you feel like it then that’s fine. If you have the time and the energy to write everyday then do so. Both approaches have their own benefits. Writing everyday is not an impossible dream. It is more of a logistical and psychological balancing act. But it is an undertaking that is far from mandatory. Consider it an optional extra or an additional goal. If you’re already maintaining a blog then that is a more important success.
