Day Fifteen: Pep Talk!
Dude! We're halfway through. On this fifteenth day of our BloMo trials, I would like to offer a suggestion. Even though you don't need it! You're doing fine! But as I click through the randomizer I sense weariness. Neil wrote that the more he posts, the less readers he has, the less time he has to read other blogs, and the more exhausted he becomes.
So I'd like to suggest something to you if you're feeling, like Neil, that the rest of the month is just going to be a chore. Do what Danielle does and post 25 words and a picture of Don Rickles. Done! Her readers are happy, and she can go back to bed -- that 500-word post about tampons can wait until tomorrow.
It's just a thought. I don't want you to burn out. If you wanted to burn out you'd be doing NaNoWriMo, right? So relax. Post something from YouTube. We'll see you on Day Sixteen.
So I'd like to suggest something to you if you're feeling, like Neil, that the rest of the month is just going to be a chore. Do what Danielle does and post 25 words and a picture of Don Rickles. Done! Her readers are happy, and she can go back to bed -- that 500-word post about tampons can wait until tomorrow.
It's just a thought. I don't want you to burn out. If you wanted to burn out you'd be doing NaNoWriMo, right? So relax. Post something from YouTube. We'll see you on Day Sixteen.
54 Comments:
I've found quite a few new blogs via the Randomizer, and I've actually been averaging more readers than usual this month. The keys to a stress-free NaBloPoMo are:
1. Have low standards.
2. Sign on for NaNoWriMo. It's taking up every ounce of stress I have to give.
That is actually kind of fascinating that more content would result in less readers. I thought the conventional wisdom was that more content means more readers--e.g. Cinematical or Gothamist or something. Of course, it doesn't help if the content is just a series of semi-colons, which is pretty much my content as of late.
i was weary at day 3 - now i'm just delirious. i'm not sure if i could stop posting [drivel] even if i wanted to.
I'm using it as a way to make myself write everyday, no matter what the content. So what if I have a whole month of shitty entries! At least I can say I did it! (Much like Dora, "We did it! We did it! (Some spanish words) We took one whole month and blogged every day! We did it! We did it! It was tough going but we went all the way! We did it! We did it!") Hey, I just found my entry for the day.
Thanks for the pep talk! Some days have been easier than others and I am turning into the Meme Queen when the inspiration cupboard is bare.
But halfway is great. It's all downhill from here. Wait. Is that a good thing or a bad thing!
In an interesting (but what shouldn't really be an unexpected) development, a foot fetishist has posted some comments on at least one ShoeMo post. Any interesting fetishists posting on the BloMos? Now that could keep a person blogging (or not).
I'm a newbie, having started my blog for NaBloPoMo. It's been fun, not tedious at all!
Of course, some days produce more "inspired" content than others. I think that writing every day, even when I've got nothing, will help me become a better blogger!
Oh Geeze (re bythe's comment)... my post later will actually be about a foot fetishist... sort of. Oddly enough, life so far in November keeps throwing me blog material. (I'm filing the Don Rickles idea away for future reference though).
How are we going to know who is out at the end of the month? As you demonstrated, you can't just look at the posting dates, because what if their blog was down and they posted on another blog?
I for one feel like a zillion bucks. Before NABLOPOMO, I hadn't posted on my blog more than twice a year. Now I've got 15 fun-filled days of semi-passable material, and another 15 ahead of me. I barely had any readers before November, and now I have a few more than that. Mostly, I'm keeping my friends entertained, which is pretty much what these sort of things are supposed to do. So hike up your skirts! Get out there! And...WRITE! SOME! SHITE!
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
I've definitely been clinging to the equivalent to the Don-Rickles-and-25-words backup plan, but so far I haven't had to resort to it. The nice thing about having a blog not based on current events is that you can have one or two reserve items in the can ready for posting.
"Post something from YouTube" sounds like an excellent idea. I've never even done that before, so it'll actually be "fresh and new" for me! Yay!
You have to have posted on the same blog every day. If you had to post elsewhere because of technical difficulties or disaster, you are eligble only for the consolation prize.
Today was my longest post of the month. I was very short on content over the weekend due to a busy schedule and sleep deprivation, so I'm trying to make this week's posts a little more meaningful.
Exhaused? Weary? Burned out? Fie! I'm having a blast! Like merry, I've been inspired by NaBloPoMo. And truly, most of my posts have been things I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy looking back on someday.
Then again, I have a really good reason to wax poetic, with NaBloPoMo coinciding very nicely with JuCoDoToBaMo <-Julie's Count Down To Baby Month. Arriving 12/14 in a hospital near you.
And even though I missed a day, I'm going for that consolation prize....
Ooh, hey...can we beg Lane to keep the Randomizer running after NaBloPoMo ends, so that we can browse it more thoroughly when we actually have time to read other people's stuff? :D
BIG QUESTION:
What will we do with ourselves once this is all over?
As soon as this is all over, I'll be able to think up witty little gems again. Last night I resorted to posting my something I've been thinking about for years, and I'm sad to see no comments yet. Sigh. I would do this again next year, however, because it's a great resource for finding new blogs. And winning prizes!
I second velocibacgeerakjhrfjnfjgirl's proposition.
Be cool, Lane, I neeeeed the randomizer. C'mon, just a little more, you know I'm good for it.
I feel like I'm cheating for posting pictures today. At least I captioned them. And I linked back to your site! Look. No seriously, look. www.knockknox.com
Thank you--I needed that. I've been working the picture thing (alternating with long posts) and feeling guilty, but if that's not breaking the rules, onward!
It is still fun for me.I would do it again. However, I have not seen my blog on the randomiser. How do I know if it is there. I've seen some several times and I've even seen my daughters twice. Not really a problem, but just wondering. I was reviewed today and thought that was pretty neat!
I have no idea how the randomizer works, if you have a question about it you should go directly to lane at pinkelephants.org.
I probably sound like one of those girls who complains about being too skinny...but I'm loving NaBloPoMo! I was a daily poster before, though, so I feel like I'm cheating a little by participating. But I get to be in the company of all you cool folks. And I heart pinkelephants.org. What a great tool that's been!
I myself picked a theme for NaBloPoMo way back on October something: song lyrics! Yes! I post a different song lyric every day. Because I am JUST THAT LAME.
I am getting more readers but fewer comments. But more comments from people I don't know. I think.
My biggest fear is that people stumbling upon my blog through the randomizer (which kicks all kinds of ass) or the participant list will think that's what I do EVERY DAY. With the song lyrics. Which I do not. And then the people who hate song lyrics will never read me again, and the people who love them will never read me again after Nov. 30 when I will stop doing that FOREVER because GOD is it ever LAME.
But it does give me more time for writing great big huge rambling angsty comments on other people's blogs, so it's all good.
The more content you post, the less comments you have, unless you pass that threshold where there are too many damn people reading, and for too long, not to have commenters.
My traffic goes way up and comments go way down. So if you're measuring response that way, it's not you -- it's everyone else:).
Heh. I think I am getting funnier as the month progresses. No boredom here. But maybe I am just delirious. After all, I'm a NaNoWriMo-gal too, so the words spouteth forth and my brain might be shriveling in the process.
I reached my low point on Monday, when I psychically anticipated your advice and posted something from You Tube.
It's not that I have reached my low point yet with blogging, it's the fact that I'm still waiting for my name to appear on the list. Is there something wrong, or did I register too late?
velvet, did you send me an e-mail? If not, or if you left a comment that didn't have your URL in it, that could be why you're not on the list.
It's weird, but now that we are half-way through, I am not complaining anymore or feeling burnt out. Although I am not a marathon runner, I've always heard about exhaustion setting in at a certain part of the race, but then feeling a renewed energy when you pass a certain mark.
For the first ten days, I was cursing your name (and it is very easy to come up with insults against someone nicknamed "Fussy."), but now I am in a zone again. I actually feel energized by the daily writing and I'm able to read other blogs again. I'm even thinking of next year writing a novel. And after the novel, maybe even running in the New York Marathon -- or at least walking to the supermarket down the block rather than driving. Thanks for the inspiration. I'll even top sticking the pins in that voodoo doll of you.
I've just shifted my blog reading from some of my regular blogs to the November ones. Who knows, there are quite a few that will get added to my Bloglines by the end of the month.
It's the weekends I have a larger problem with. That, and I don't think Don Rickles photos go with my usual pictures.
Great advice!!
I'm just pissed my delayed plane prevented me from posting on Monday. I HATE not being able to finish what I started.
I feel like a one loss team in the final BCS poll.
So far, so good. I'm finding it a definite discipline thang, to have to post every day. I'm getting lots of hits from the randomizer (woohoo!), and trolling through the randomizer myself...The suggestion to keep the randomizer going is GREAT. Puh-leeze?!
Anyway, it's a cool idea, and I hope you (or someone else) sponsors it next year, too!
off topic:
I love your new banner.
Love it!
On topicish:
I am sorry I wasn't able to particpate in NaBloPoMo - instead I am concentrating on working and going to school. Maybe next year!
Yeah, it's the pressure that's hard. Which is bizarre to me, because I was posting pretty much every day anyway.
*Starts singing* Under pressure. do do do dodo do do.
Weird.
I was just thinking tonight about how posting was getting easier - about how at the beginning I was all stressed out about content and entertaining, and now I can post one day about how I feel about my office, and be ok with that, because I have the whole month to fill, and there's always tomorrow to find fabulous content!
Although, I think I'm doing ok on the content anyway, because I'm having some very nice commenters - and for only being up shy of a few months, I'm happy with that.
yay NBPM!
MontanaJen
So you know how I was sick of the sound of my own voice five days ago? Yeah, well, it's not like that's cleared up. However, this exercise is "forcing" me to write about a lot of stuff I've been meaning to write about for the looooooongest time, to finish things I started weeks and months ago, and to really kick my mind into production mode. I've been in kind of a fog creatively for the last year or so, too, so that's actually quite big. So thank you.
So far, I'm managing to keep up two blogs and not faltering yet, though last night I almost missed the midnight deadline by sheer seconds. Then I spent the next two hours editing what I'd posted. I kind of want to shoot myself in the head just for caring so much. Instead I made muffins.
Of course, I'll post about those tomorrow.
I don't think I'll post about anything in December.
interesting because i have found that i tend to blog more realistic for me... before, i was concerned with having a specific topic to blog about.. now i've gotten good comments about my rambling posts... probably because i've never posted rambles before... but anyway... i post like i talk and the dot dot dots i use... those are the pauses to catch my breath.
enough ramble
glad to see this post from you because someone mentioned that they thought meme's weren't allowed and that would suck becuase some of them are good. like my recent christmas one that i split up in 2 installments... if a meme is good, you can learn a lot about a person!
so a post is a post is a post? does a picture with no words count as a post? like wordless wednesday?
I've definitely gotten more hits through the randomizer.
I was getting pretty dejected yesterday and feeling the pressure of finding interesting blog content and time to write while wrangling a 17 month old, so I decided to wander through the NaBloPoMoFo sites myself. It was stunning to see, as the randomizer made it's magic, how many people had already quit. Easily half of the sites I visited hadn't blogged every day.
It perked me up in a confusing way. On one hand I felt proud that I've managed to keep it going. And on the other I felt like someone stopping at a house fire to celebrate and roast marshmallows.
Argh. I need more sleep!
At first I thought it would be more like a death march, but it's becoming easier to post, and more fun. Go figure. I'm still doing it, even though I missed the e-mail deadline. (Can I take the place of someone who dropped? Pretty please??)
I've noticed a surprising number of people through the randomizer that have dropped somehow or other. I'm still going strong, though, but not necessarily making any sense.
I have to say: Although I was posting (most) days before, the first week or so of this was strangely reeeally hard for me.
I love the Randomizer, even though I haven't "found" myself on it, I'm getting plenty of hits, so I know it must be working! I even made us rush home from the show we were at tonight so I could hit publish by 11:56 - SUCH a procrastinator.
Did also do a video the other day, but I don't think of it as not writing...just not writing very much!
Thanks for the great idea, Mrs. K!
I'm completely weird. I always tried to post every day (go back through my archives one day when you're having insomnia, it'll put you to sleep)
So this isn't actually killing me too much.
Finding I don't have many readers, but I'm sort of doing it for myself anyway so BLEH to that!
I refuse to go to YouTube. Must. Stay Strong.
I'm loving this, to be quite honest. I have been paying for my LiveJournal account for about 5 years now and not necessarily posting as much as I should have (I just hit my 1,000th post earlier this month). It's kind of fun just sitting down at the beginning of my day and getting stuff out of my head. I'm doing this for me, not for everyone else. . .Thanks for making me do this (even though I know you didn't really make me do it.
:) Great pep talk there Fussy! I'm going to make some posts about Blogaphors... so that'll keep me for a day or two. I'm wondering how folks will fare before, during, and after Thanksgiving day.
I'm having a lot of fun reading you people...so if you are tired, keep your chins up...we're liking it! :)
Also, yay for BlogAds! I know you don't hear that too often, but that Mom Agenda planner I clicked on here is on its way to my house! I am so excited. No other Mom calendar/planner has the room for 4 kids like this one does. I can't help it that I'm a breeder.
It's going well for me, and even with my surgery, I have been able to post every day this month!
I really love this. If I wasn't under the gun, I'm sure many of my smaller posts and at least one of my longer, more thought-out posts would never have seen the light of day.
I'm passing on YouTube right now, but I think I'm going to start posting excerpts from the stories I wrote as a teenager. With a title like "Love, Betrayal, and a Baby," how could I not?
I was reading through your archives because my job is boring like that and I was wondering if you had checked out This link recently. It's worth a lot more than $156.19.
Burnt out after 15 posts in 15 days? Clearly none of you did Blogathon ;)
In all seriousness, I am in love with this event, and i am in love with blogging again. I have found dozens of amazing writers who bring a smile to my face every day - and I'm only a fifth of the way through the alphabet!
Wish I would have known about this thing sooner.
It's making me draw stuff.
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