"When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'."
— Groucho Marx
What Is The Most Challenging Aspect of Blogging?
*Sticky Post*New Posts below
Hello dear reader,
The question of the day is what do you find the most challenging part of blogging to be. Is it coming up with new posts, answering comments, finding new readers?
I think finding readers who actually enjoy my writing.
Second would be responding to comments. The comments can become a huge furball of 20-30 comments (not that I'm complaining) and its hard to respond to each one, but I try.
I try not to blog unless it is something of substance so a new post can either come daily or weekly. I'm pretty creative so its not that hard.
For me the biggest problem is time management; how to pay attention to everything the blog needs while still paying attention to everything else I need to do. Sometimes good postings stay in draft form because there just isn't the time to get them to where I want them to be. Sometimes a posting goes up not as polished as I'd like because if I don't post it at that second it's going to get lost in the shuffle.
My best blogging days are definitely behind me. My old blog is clearly proof of that. My biggest issue is finding the time to not only post, but finding the time to put real thought into my posts. And only recently have I struggled to find the time to answer comments. That's frustrating to me. I've never run out of things to say and I don't think I ever will. And I'm not terribly concerned with building a "fan base." I mainly write for me, readers are just a bonus.
ProfK has it right: Time management. There is so much information out there. I have so many people sending me tips each day, links to what they think is important. I appreciate each one of them, but this presents the question: What comes first? Reading email/tips, reading news, answering comments, ...
I'm bad about not commenting at my own blog. I let readers converse with each other, debate each other, and I simply put the info out there for them.
That's the reason I started Right Truth in the first place, to share information. I may put up something that I don't agree with, but it's something that I think needs to be known and acknowledged.
Writing and researching takes the most time. So my answer to your question is:
Well, I'm not overly worried about building an audience as such, as this blog is mainly for me, to get my thoughts out there. However, I do value the visitors I've got, especially when they comment!
So, I think my main concern is to write well, whether it is funny or serious.
And also not to be the same as everyone else out there.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm not just wasting my time. I sit here the computer much too long each day. One blog hardly has any visitors who get there on their own accord.
Living on the wrong side of the world has its disadvantages. How do you walk upside down. ;)
Rachel,
Content is king.
Leora,
You're good about answering comments. I should be better, used to be.
Val,
I use this place as a sort of diary/journal too. Sometimes when I sift through the archives I find myself laughing about things that I had forgotten about.
Batya,
I hear you. I have too many blogs and too little time. I keep saying that I am going to downsize but...
my challenge is in keeping my content focused and telling a story between the lines. after some bad experiences on my old blog, i've been more careful about the way i present ideas and information on my new one. the restrictions i put on myself have made it harder to come up with blog content. i no longer just sit down and write (which is easy for me).
my challenge is in keeping my content focused and telling a story between the lines.
Sometimes that is part of the fun. I like to try and stick in some "secret messages" in my posts. The hard part is doing so in a way that doesn't totally destroy the post.
21 comments:
Thinking of what to write. i.e. being an editor.
Building an audience is second.
I don't get enough comments, so answering them isn't a big issue.
Interesting question, Jack.
I think finding readers who actually enjoy my writing.
Second would be responding to comments. The comments can become a huge furball of 20-30 comments (not that I'm complaining) and its hard to respond to each one, but I try.
I try not to blog unless it is something of substance so a new post can either come daily or weekly. I'm pretty creative so its not that hard.
Coming up with new posts. It takes a lot of research to maintain a blog like mine :-)
SD,
Good content is important. Sometimes I wonder if my best days are behind me.
Jacob,
Building traffic has its challenges. But in some ways I'd say that it is far harder to keep up with multiple comments.
Nurse Myra,
I bet. The content you use is rather exotic.
For me the biggest problem is time management; how to pay attention to everything the blog needs while still paying attention to everything else I need to do. Sometimes good postings stay in draft form because there just isn't the time to get them to where I want them to be. Sometimes a posting goes up not as polished as I'd like because if I don't post it at that second it's going to get lost in the shuffle.
My best blogging days are definitely behind me. My old blog is clearly proof of that.
My biggest issue is finding the time to not only post, but finding the time to put real thought into my posts. And only recently have I struggled to find the time to answer comments. That's frustrating to me.
I've never run out of things to say and I don't think I ever will. And I'm not terribly concerned with building a "fan base." I mainly write for me, readers are just a bonus.
ProfK has it right: Time management. There is so much information out there. I have so many people sending me tips each day, links to what they think is important. I appreciate each one of them, but this presents the question: What comes first? Reading email/tips, reading news, answering comments, ...
I'm bad about not commenting at my own blog. I let readers converse with each other, debate each other, and I simply put the info out there for them.
That's the reason I started Right Truth in the first place, to share information. I may put up something that I don't agree with, but it's something that I think needs to be known and acknowledged.
Writing and researching takes the most time. So my answer to your question is:
Writing.
Right Truth
Sometimes a posting goes up not as polished as I'd like because if I don't post it at that second it's going to get lost in the shuffle.
I definitely know that story. I tend to spend less time polishing because things just don't get published otherwise.
I mainly write for me,
Unless you're getting paid to blog it is just not worth spending the time unless it is for you first.
ProfK has it right: Time management. There is so much information out there.
It is hard to find the balance. I find myself constantly doing a little tap dance to make it happen.
haivng time to take/make pictures, edit/adjust them and post them... life gets busy!
Well, I'm not overly worried about building an audience as such, as this blog is mainly for me, to get my thoughts out there. However, I do value the visitors I've got, especially when they comment!
So, I think my main concern is to write well, whether it is funny or serious.
And also not to be the same as everyone else out there.
Rachel
Doing all the other stuff in life that I am supposed to do besides blog.
I often respond to comments by visiting the commentators' blog. That's easy (thank you for your comment yesterday).
Coming up with topics, but my blog is mainly for me and keeping track of my life for when I can't remember what I did last year, last week, yesterday!
Sometimes I wonder if I'm not just wasting my time. I sit here the computer much too long each day. One blog hardly has any visitors who get there on their own accord.
Responding to a comment without being tooo sarcastic.
Sarah,
Living on the wrong side of the world has its disadvantages. How do you walk upside down. ;)
Rachel,
Content is king.
Leora,
You're good about answering comments. I should be better, used to be.
Val,
I use this place as a sort of diary/journal too. Sometimes when I sift through the archives I find myself laughing about things that I had forgotten about.
Batya,
I hear you. I have too many blogs and too little time. I keep saying that I am going to downsize but...
Bill,
You? Sarcastic. Say it is not so. ;)
jack: you saw i had to walk on my hands in LA :P
in aus i'm the right way up.
my challenge is in keeping my content focused and telling a story between the lines. after some bad experiences on my old blog, i've been more careful about the way i present ideas and information on my new one. the restrictions i put on myself have made it harder to come up with blog content. i no longer just sit down and write (which is easy for me).
jack: you saw i had to walk on my hands in LA :P
;)
my challenge is in keeping my content focused and telling a story between the lines.
Sometimes that is part of the fun. I like to try and stick in some "secret messages" in my posts. The hard part is doing so in a way that doesn't totally destroy the post.
B"H
Just plain ol' getting the words to come of my head.
Building an audience has been hard for me, perhaps because I am not the typical "life in Israel" blog, politics coming in very little....
But my type of blog (centering on my daughter 50% of the time), usually makes writing easier... she is usually up to "something"
Keeping lashon hara out is hard. I could have a fascinating, rolicking blog if I revealed all.....
Juggling is hard. DH says I don't, and the house has gone to hell....
Jbloggers are among the most narcissistic people I have ever seen.
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