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| Are you on the verge of dropping dead? (photo credit: Vera Kratochvil) |
Newbies and seasoned writers alike should know how to avoid getting burnt out with blogging. The activity is fresh and exciting for a while, but when the reality of deadlines and expectations sink in, a lot of people cave in to the pressure.
Do you reach a point when you're high and dry of ideas and writing inspiration? Well, you're not alone. Here are some practical blogging tips to help you stay on top of your game and in control of your schedule.
- Choose topics that you are genuinely interested in and knowledgeable about. The research process can eat up your time if you tackle unfamiliar subjects.
- Be opinionated. You may not be the fastest gun in the news industry, but your insights and personal statements can add value to a wooden announcement or generic "breaking news." Opinions come naturally unless you're a fence sitter.
- Designate a theme that you can write in a span of time. Take advantage of the momentum. Alternately, you can try what a number of bloggers are doing -- that is to establish the habit of assigning a day of the week for particular type of blog post. Eclectic blogs often participate in Wordless Wednesdays, Pink Fridays - types of events.
- Don't bare all in one post. It's easier and more convenient to share information in chunks than to serve the main course in a 10,000-word blog entry.
- Think about the money later. Put people (you or your readers) on top of money matters. A non-commercial mindset can help you turn blogging frustrations into inspiration.
- Have a contingency plan. Stock up on relevant photos that you can use for your blog. When you run out of words, you can let the photos tell a story. Adding captions takes lesser time than a full-blown blog post anyway.
- Schedule your blogging. Take advantage of your mood to write by crafting as many blog posts as you can in a day and then scheduling their publication a day or a week at a time. This gives you a good buffer on days when you have to be away from the computer.
These practices can help you take control of your life and your blogging career. While blogger burnout may be inevitable, you can decrease your chances of being hit by it. The best part is that by being prepared, you can bounce back faster.
