Tuesday Tips - Blogging Tips

"I don't see how you find time to blog so much!"

"I never know what to blog about."

"I wish I could do a post every day."

These are comments people make to me often. I always tell people blogging doesn't take very much time at all (except those long posts with 500 pictures), and if they really wanted to fit it into their daily routine, they could. My blog is my family record, or my journal. I have people tell me they want to do one for that purpose too, so, here are my blogging tips for them.

TIP #1: Try to blog at the same time every day (not always possible, but if you make a habit of it, it can work).

TIP #2: Don't think you don't have anything to write about. What family ever lacks for a funny or crazy thing that happened to them today? Don't try keeping up with the Jones's blog. Your blog is your blog, there is no competition. Don't get caught up in the feeling that you don't have anything "cool" to blog about. One day down the road, especially if you aren't around anymore, your kids will think anything you wrote was "cool." I think they'll treasure the posts on your day to day life more than they will on the post of the time you went para sailing. (Though that would be "cool.")

TIP #3: Set a time limit. If your time limit is up, stop typing, save, and go back to it if you have a few extra minutes later, or the next day.

TIP #4: Just because you type a post doesn't mean you have to publish it. This is my journal, and I know I get personal on here, but sometimes I think it is too personal, so I don't publish those. When I print out my blogs into books, I'll include those posts there.

TIP #5: I used to want to blog about my life in order. Well, I decided it doesn't matter. As long as it gets written or recorded. Write what you feel like writing about today. Who cares if it puts your journal out of order? You can still include the dates. I've found for myself that if I am trying to do it in order but I don't feel like blogging about what came next, I get stuck on it, and I wouldn't blog for a while because I didn't feel like blogging about that thing. Skip it, and go back to it. I think it's more important to record something, rather than nothing. I think my children won't care if my blog was a little out of chronological order, I think they'll just appreciate having things recorded.

TIP #6: I keep an index card by my computer. If I get an idea, or my kids say something funny, I write down a little note so that I will remember it when I get to blogging about it. If you keep a calendar next to your computer that is another way you could do it.

TIP #7: Sure, posts with pictures are more fun. But, did your diary or journal have pictures in them? Mine didn't - except this one time I was mad at my little sister and I drew an ugly picture of her. Oh, and another time I was mad at my little sister and wrote she was a pain in the butt, and I drew a butt. I just confessed, my journal contains pornography. I really wanted all my posts to have pictures, but it took more time when I tried to do that, so now I don't worry about it anymore.

TIP #8: Skip the rough draft, proof reading, etc. Do feel free to take advantage of the super easy spell check button. This tip may be a little controversial, but for my purposes, I don't have a week to work on one post. If your blog is for another purpose, sure, but mine isn't. I never made a rough draft for a diary entry, and I'm not going to start now just because you are reading it. I mean, I think you're special, but my time is also special.

TIP #9: Do what works for you.

TIP #10: But, just do it. (If it's what you want to do...)