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Showing posts with label blogging thought process. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging thought process. Show all posts
I've been on the look out for some blogging inspiration - especially now that I've decided to sign up for the Ultimate Blog Challenge .  The last few days have been spent doing general research on the past challenges that I've participated in to get an idea of what kind of themes or topics other participants were blogging about.  The challenge sends out blogging topics each day as well to keep the participants inspired. 

Then, the other night I came across The Daily Post blog site which has a Daily Prompts section.  It's quite cool as there is a 'daily' prompt (as the name suggests).  The prompt is a word or up to 3 words from what I've noticed topped up with a question / statement that you can put your own response to in case you don't want to think of a topic solely based on the prompt word(s).  The site also allows you to pingback to their posts and enables your post to be visible to all the participating bloggers. 

Quite a few of the prompts have caught my attention and I'm hoping to get cracking on them at the earliest.  I may have to back-date some of them to go in accordance with the Prompt schedule or maybe it won't matter at all.  I'll figure that bit out.  I'm a bit of a stickler for order. 

I also came across A Prompt A Day which has only just started in June and as the name suggests - the host puts up prompts ranging from a word, an image, a quote.  There are about 80 prompts so far. 

Another interesting site is The One Minute Writer - wherein there's a daily prompt but you have 60 seconds to jot your thoughts down in the form of a comment.  Of course you can take this a step further and expand on your own blog.  I know I would do that.  

So there you go - in case you are in need of some writing inspiration, I'd definitely recommend heading on over to any of these blog sites and see what it is that inspires you to write.  

p.s Don't forget to share your blog link in the comments so that I can visit your page. 

Disclaimer : Originally written as a Guest Post  on 6th April ‘11 for The Single Filez to celebrate her 1 year blogaversary.  Don’t forget to check out the other international bloggers who participated.

I’ve been blogging regularly for just over 2 years now; and it’s been a really insightful journey of discovering more about ‘me’, my blogger voice, and becoming aware about what else is ‘out there’.  I’ve discovered some amazing bloggers spread out across the globe; some of which are now my Twitter and FaceBook friends.  When I started my blog – I didn’t quite know what to blog about or how I would carve a space for myself out in Blogosphere but I knew I wanted to have a place of my very own where I could look back and think ‘damn so that’s what I was thinking / experiencing / going through all those years ago’.   I didn’t know the first thing about blogging – so I just kept reading around Blogosphere; found inspiration in posts; wrote up whatever I could and hoped that someone out there was reading my sporadic reflections.  And here’s what I discovered:

blogger learning cycle

Be Yourself.

Bloggers earn their readers trust.  Be honest with them.  Don’t be somebody you are not.  The best blogs I’ve read are usually ‘in-your-face – this is my thought whether you agree or disagree’.  Everyone is entitled to an opinion and your blog is an avenue to express yourself.  Your blog should be a reflection of your personality – the good, the bad, the funny, the ugly – you get my drift.  Some people may applaud you on it; some might throw in a counter-argument but that’s all a part of being blogger.

Read; Comment; Read & Comment Some More.

Even the most amazing bloggers can get writers block; so it’s no surprise that the newbie bloggers and part-time / social bloggers need inspiration for their next post.  It’s important to read what others have to say about a topic / subject that appeals to you or holds value to you.  When you come across something you can relate to – then make sure you leave a comment behind – even if it just one line.  Blogging is about building relationships with your online peers so that you are able to engage them with your blog content and thereby build up readership on your blog.

Continue The Conversation & Ask For Feedback.

Are you giving your readers a chance to continue to the conversation with your blog post ?  What is the purpose of your post ? Do you want another opinion on your thoughts ?  Ask and thou shall receive !  I’ve gotten into the habit of ending my blog posts with questions to my readers and people do respond to them; which brings about a new perspective to the topic on hand and thereby allows you to continue your conversation with your readers.  There are times I call upon my readers for help – whether it be to find a music artist; or to get feedback on the change of design of my blog – and being the helpful bunch that bloggers are – the responses always help me out.

Unleashing Your Blogger Voice.

Your blogger voice is reflected in your writing style : is it personal, opinionated, sarcastic, conversational etc.  The more you read other blogs, the more you will discover what kind of writing styles appeal to you.  Pick a blogger that you admire and write a follow up post on something that they have done in a similar manner.  Don’t hold back when blogging – write without inhibition as if no one is reading and when you’re done with the post – then worry about the grammar and corrections. It will take some time & practice but once you ‘discover’ your blogger voice – you’ve hit the sweet spot!

Two years down the line – I’ve found out that there are a whole bunch of people who actually ‘follow’ me and read what I have to say.  They interact with me; encourage me; and push me to write and express myself in ways I didn’t think I could at all.  I never thought of myself as a relationship / dating blogger but some people do and I consider it an honour to be a part of this elite group of bloggers.  A few weeks ago I received a tweet that ranked me #20 in India as a person to Follow on Friday!!

Does this mean my blogger voice has been heard – YES ! I believe that each blogger has an individual voice that will keep changing with every curve ball that life throws our way.

What have you learned whilst blogging away to glory ? Have you noticed any changes in your style of writing ? Are you a blog lurker or have you managed to de-lurk on your favourite blogs ?

I’m smiling to myself as I write this and with good reason too … This very post that you are reading is my ….

blogpost200

Yup – that’s right – 200th blog post !! Quite exciting huh ?  Maybe not for you (if you’ve crossed that mark – or even if you haven’t) but it is for me. 

I don’t have anything prolific to say; nor any words of wisdom … what I do want to say will perhaps come out over the next 200 posts (unless something really bad happens to me) .. at least my sporadic reflections have managed to carve a small space in the blogosphere .. and for that I am grateful and thankful. 

If it wasn’t for all of my neighbours in Bloggerville (old and new) - I wouldn’t still be here. 

There are quite a few things I’d like to achieve by the end of the year in terms of the content that goes on to this haven of mine – and for that I need your support and feedback.

Whilst I ponder on how to keep you around for another few hundred posts – feel free to leave me a comment with some feedback about what you think about my sporadic reflections to date; any reflections that you’d like to read about this year; any tips or suggestions to improve your experience (and that will keep you coming back for more)

Seriously, a big shout out to all of you out there reading – thanks for stopping by and letting my sporadic reflections (and me) be a part of your life.

Whilst on this journey of discovering my Blogger Voice in the past few days – I’ve come to realize a few things.   In the last few months, quite a few people I know in my regular social circle have told me that they read my blog !

Considering the fact that I don’t really tell my friends about it – except for perhaps a select few – it was quite flattering to know that therebrand voice are others out there who read and lurk on my blog =)  These friends are lurkers – they don’t comment – but it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that they’ve taken the time to drop by .. even if its every few weeks; and not regularly.

Even more flattering was when a few of my favourite neighbours like Simone Grant, the Fabulous Bitch, SingleCityGuy all messaged to check on my MIA status.  It just felt good to know that somebody out there was thinking about me.  And these guys have never met me.  

As I mentioned in my last post – I reckon I’ve always had my Blogger Voice – and of course I have adjusted and adapted my style of writing as I got more and more regular.  However it was only recently; perhaps in the last few months that I started making a conscious effort on how to make my blog more appealing.

Here are 10 tips that you can use (and you probably do this anyway) to find your inner Blogger Voice :

  1. Be Yourself.  Nothing  you can say is wrong because it’s Your perspective.  Some people will agree with you; others will not; some may start a heated debate. But there’s nothing wrong with that.  We are all entitled to our opinions.
  2. Blog the way you think.  Your thoughts are original to you; sure – others may think the same thought – but they process it differently to you.  I took my neighbours behind the scenes and gave them something to think about for the first time in March ‘09.  I haven’t done something like that until my last post ‘To Blog .. and How ??!!’  I hope to be doing more of that this year.
  3. Mind Your P’s & Q’s.  Every writing tool (MS Word, Live Writer, down to web browsers) have got spell checks installed.  They are there for a reason.  Use them ! It shows a sign of respect to your readers.   The same way – make sure your grammar is correct.  Use capitalization and correct forms of punctuation when forming sentences.. It gives your reader a better experience.
  4. Commit To Writing.  The more you write – the stronger your voice gets.  In 2009, I averaged 10.8 posts per month.  My highest blog count is 19 posts last May.  I don’t keep a schedule for writing – I write when I feel like; but I’ve told myself that I need to have at least 4 posts a month no matter how busy I get.  If you’ve got an idea – write it down – check out my thought process that resulted in this post.
  5. Be Transparent.  Bloggers earn their readers trust.  Be honest with them.  Don’t be somebody you are not.  When I first started writing, I used to often wonder ‘how do people get blog awards' … and then sometime ago, I got my first blog award.  It didn’t stop there – I ended up with a dazed blur of awards..  It doesn’t mean I’m a super blogger – I was given those because somebody believed in what I was doing.  Nubby has written a great post on The Importance of Transparency in Blogging which is a must read.
  6. Avoid Censorship.  Just because someone has a different opinion to yours, or negates your writing doesn’t mean you censor their comments.  Unless the comments are spam; offensive and/or abusive – leave them up there.  You never know who else might stand up for your thoughts.
  7. Comment, Comment & Comment Some More.  I discovered a new layer of thoughts by interacting on other bloggers posts.  There are times I wish I could write posts like Simone or WSG – but I can’t (in time perhaps) but I let them know by commenting on their blogs.  And it’s always nice to see other people keeping your comments in mind when responding.  Besides, a lot of what you read and comment on can help inspire your next blog masterpiece !
  8. Ask for Feedback.  Let go of your ego and fears and just ask someone for feedback; and take it with a pinch of salt.  Bloggers are a friendly bunch – if you ask for help – they help.  If you need motivation – they give you that little push to get your feet in motion.
  9. Experiment With Content.  If you’ve got a favourite author, give their writing style a shot.  I’ve seen a lot of ‘Wordless Wednesday’ posts around cyber space – try one of those Mr Linky things.  I started this blog with music, poetry and my random thoughts.  I still write about those and quite a few other things too. Try a new template / blog design; a writing format; make a few lists; a book or movie review; or just a post linking to your favourite bloggers.
  10. Contemplate & Reflect.  What is the purpose of your post ? Why are you using certain photographs ? Is there a lesson to be learned ? Is there something you want to ask your readers ?

So here’s wishing you well on your journey to find Your Blogger Voice.  For any of you veteran bloggers out there – please feel free to add to these tips.  Is there something else that you guys recommend ?

I believe that our voices will keep changing as we experience all that life has to offer us.  I’m glad you are a part of my journey – and I look forward to being a part of yours =)

Inspired By

  6. Voice and Blogging

This post came about whilst I was lurking after my very sexy blogger friend Nando over in New York.  His post titled Nandoism’s Valentines Erotica Submission and Exposing Yourself on Twitter caught my attention which resulted in my last post ‘To Blog .. and How ??!!’

Hello. This is Your Blogger Voice Calling.

I’ve been blogging for about 1.5 year now; 170 sporadic thoughts to be precise. And I don’t think they suck either.  As I looked back at the posts I wrote when I first started blogging in 2008; there were only 28 posts in 6 months.  In 2009, I had managed to pen down 130 very sporadic thoughts :)

I noticed that ever so often I would put up a few posts that could be considered ‘a bit out there’ or just not with the general flow of the writing or perhaps something not everyone reading could relate to.  Some of my old favourites include ‘Chivalry : Dead, Alive or Abused’ and What the Hell is Dating ?  Lately I’ve been reading up on quite a few dating / relationship bloggers – and it’s kinda cool that I’ve already sort of written about those topics.  I’ve been thinking about it – but haven’t really put anything down.

I can safely say that none of my neighbours here in Bloggerville would classify or even categorize me as someone who refers to shattering news stories.  That’s probably because I’ve stopped reading the papers and try to catch the ‘happier’ stories online.  However in 2008, I found myself bang in the heart of the Mumbai Terror Attacks, and I have gone on to describe my close encounter in that chaotic crisis.  At the time, I didn’t really get any response from my neighbours (I was – and still am – a newbie in cyber space) but got an overwhelming feedback in the form of comments on my FB notes.

Contrary to what Srinivas Rao says in his post  How To Find Your Voice as a Blogger; I find that looking back at the early days of my blog – I somehow feel that I didn’t hold back on what I was thinking.  During the course of growing as a writer – there is a quite a difference in the content – it’s still very much ‘me’ .. but it’s a bit ‘held back’ – I’m not being as blunt as I could be.  Or maybe it’s just another side of me. 

However I did find that the more ‘sporadic’ and non-conventional my thoughts were – the higher my neighbour engagement was in the form of comments.  Sure I wondered ‘why am I publishing this’ every now and then – but then I realized I can’t let something public or private affect my writing; and that I shouldn’t just write for readers or for comments or just for the sake of it – that I should be writing because I want to and because I think whatever it is that I have to say is going to hold some sort of importance or relevance to somebody out there in Blogosphere.

I took my neighbours behind the scenes and gave them something to think about for the first time in March ‘09.  I haven’t done something like that until my last post ‘To Blog .. and How ??!!’  I hope to be doing more of that this year.

My sporadic thoughts are just that – my past, present and future – a part of this thing called life - a small speck of ME in the overwhelming realm of the Universal Spectrum.  And maybe I had always HAD my blogger voice =) I just didn’t realize it fully until now.

Have you found your blogger voice as yet ? Yes. No. Maybe. Somewhere in between perhaps ? Not that I’m an expert – but thought I’d put together a few words of wisdom to help you determine your status.  After all – its Your Voice – Your Blog – Your Blogger Voice.

Inspired By

This post came about as a way to formulate the multiple post ideas that came to after reading Nandoism’s Valentines Erotica Submission.

Blog Thought Process

Why ? How ? Explain ?

I was thinking about re-publishing his post on my blog so that all of my neighbours out in Bloggerville are aware of the contest … and really also because I have previously written two pieces of literotica … which I’ve only shown a handful of people ..

As you can imagine .. I’m a bit nervous .. as must you be wondering ‘erm Erotica ? really’ or  ‘Erotica ! No Way !’ or even ‘That’s it I’m outta here’ … so yeah, I am kind of nervous about how some of my neighbours might react.  The competition requires people to vote on their favourite story … and even though I could submit it anonymously .. how would I get votes ?

But … I realized that this is all a part of my Blogger Voice.  And where did that light bulb go on from .. A post (ironically) titled Exposing Yourself on Twitter ..Thanks Nando ! All this inspiration is thanks to you my sexy Mexican hunk !

So now with all these voices going around in cyber space – I came to realize that there really is a theory on 'Your Blogger Voice’ … I’d heard about the Twitter Voice from the above post and that got me thinking about how I am using Twitter and that resulted in the phrase ‘Blogger Voice’ .. which I had to look up and was quite happy to discover that I wasn’t making things up in my own head !

Considering all the voices that were now bouncing around my head – I was happy to note that I now have quite a few topics that I can blog about :) Here’s how I’ve managed to break it down !

Blog Post Ideas Lately I’ve been feeling that all I’m doing is working and every time I get down to writing something – I end up spending more time reading and catching up with all the other blogs in the neighbourhood !

It has taken me 2 days to get this post up and running – but I have valid reasons for the delay … WORK ! and I’m a perfectionist – and I really wanted to be able to express my thought process to you all … I hope it’s worked or at least made sense !

Before I get on to writing the next few posts – would you be totally scandalized or offended or just be thinking WTF if I were to put up a few pieces of writing that were ‘outside’ of my current thoughts ?  My blog is titled Sporadic Reflections for a reason .. I have way too many random thoughts and I want to be able to pen them down and get a good laugh out of it a decade or two from now.  But most importantly – because it’s my thoughts. 

Need some feedback please.