Writing Blog Posts
(click on images to view them full size)
Ever wonder what goes into writing this blog?
My desk set up as I review ideas for blog posts.
I’ve had a few people express curiosity about how I find the time to create blog posts - especially during times when there has been a lot going on (such as when we moved - see this blog post). I’ve also had comments about the consistency with which I’m able to create and publish them (11 months into weekly blogs).
I thought that I’d write a bit about my writing process and how I come up with ideas right through to the finished blog because it’s been a bit of a learning process and also a bit of a surprise to me, so let’s dive in (yes I still prefer to brainstorm with pen and paper - though I do a lot electronically too - I’m a bit of a hybrid which reflects my life timing for tech changes).
Coming up with ideas
When I first decided to write a blog I spent some time brainstorming ideas of things to write about. I can recall having a list of items around photography as that is what I originally wanted to focus on - how I started in photography, some tips and tricks that I’ve learned, travel, subjects to photograph and maybe some gear stuff thrown in (yes GAS is real).
That lightbulb moment when timing aligns and magic happens (Castlegate in Aberdeen at 4:30 am).
Ironically as I reviewed that list it felt rather hmmmmm stale or limited - like I would run out of interesting ideas, or that there are already a lot of good photography blogs out there and then I started thinking about the things that have been very impactful for me with respect to photography and that is when the lightbulb went on - I have used my photography as a tool to help me work through difficult times such as my transition into retirement, challenging emotional times (such as the loss of my parents) and connecting with nature (such as my mindfulness exploration).
Once I narrowed in on this idea the list of ideas suddenly expanded and as I am such an avid reader I thought about including quotes from books that I’ve found particularly interesting or useful and marrying this with my images - resulting in the template for my blog posts. I have a rough outline of the format of the blog post and once I start writing I use the template to guide the length and direction of the post. I don’t follow a strict formula, but having a guideline does help me stay focused and on track.
Interestingly I find that now ideas come from a number of places - conversations with people, new books I’m reading, a podcast or song may spark a thought or idea and then some people are even making suggestions of things I could write about (which I love, so please keep the suggestions coming) - there really seems to be a never ending stream of ideas. I’ve also found that I like to go back and dig deeper into a topic that I’ve covered as I explore it more through my day to day encounters.
Moving from ideas to blog posts
I capture ideas on slips of paper, notebooks and in my phone in the notes section - anytime something occurs to me I write down enough of a note to spark my recall when I make it into a formal post. Then every few weeks or once a month I will take those notes and make up blog post outlines in the template. I have almost 40 ideas lined up to eventually become blog posts. My fears about running out of ideas seem to be dissipating naturally.
The writing is the interesting part and the process is not what I expected because it is not a linear process for me. By that I mean that I work on multiple blog posts at any one time - I open up one that I’m working on and if the words don’t come then I move on to another one. I have bullet point notes in each blog template to help me recall what I wanted to cover, however sometimes I don’t follow the plan if my thoughts go in a different direction. I might move a recall point to another blog post template if it is more relevant - this is a very fluid process for me which is not aligned with how I used to write reports and technical papers. I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me, but it still does as I am usually a very methodical person who likes to complete tasks in a sequential order.
My blog post writing style somewhat mimics my book reading style in that I often have 4 or 5 books on the go at any one time. How do I keep them straight? Mostly I do, however sometimes I have to go back and reread sections to ensure I’m not confusing the current book with another one. This is just how I’ve always been with reading and yes I do often go to the last page first - I hate surprises - just ask my husband!
Sometimes images lead to posts and sometimes ideas and words pave the way to a finished blog post.
There are times when the images come first and there are a series of photographs that I want to include in a blog post - or even one specific image that sparks a thought process for writing.
At other times it is the words that come first and then I search through my archives for an appropriate image, or I come up with a concept and go make that image. It’s a very dynamic process which enables me to write about things that I am passionate about and that are important to me to express.
There are times that I use the blog posts to work through things/ideas and these ones tend to take longer to write - I work in spurts as the ideas solidify in my mind.
Once I start writing (if there isn’t already a book that inspires some ideas in the blog post) I spend some time identifying books along the same theme that I’ve read recently and then I seek out a quote (or use one that I’ve highlighted). I have all of the books I’ve referenced highlighted on my Resources Page. There are times when there isn’t a fit and so I just don’t include a quote.
Editing and polishing
There are times when I write quickly and follow that by editing and refining the blog post in pretty quick succession, but there are other times when I intentionally create some space between the writing and the editing stages. Sometimes it feels appropriate to let things rest and come at them with a fresh perspective.
Editing and polishing the blog post brings clarity and colour to the words and themes.
I will reread posts to make sure that it makes sense, spelling and grammar are not too terrible and images are properly labeled and formatted to allow them to be enlarged when clicked on. All of these steps take a bit more time, so I like to do this when I am not feeling rushed.
Once I’m happy with it then I mark it as scheduled for publishing and identify the date it will go out. I usually have 2 - 3 blogs finished and ready for publishing at any time. This is my buffer just in case I get in a time crunch and can’t work on a blog post for a few weeks.
Then every Sunday morning I publish a blog post and send out an email with some additional details to those who have subscribed to the blog. They might also get a more candid image from the week too (subscribing has its advantages ;)
Eleven months in….
I’ve been following this process for about eleven months now and it’s working pretty well. I can honestly say that I didn’t imagine that I would be this keen to write or that it would be so well received - I am amazed by the level of engagement and the thoughtful comments that I’ve received - it is very humbling.
I have enjoyed being able to connect with this creative side of myself and use my photography in a meaningful way that helps to anchor my thoughts and perhaps convey my ideas more fully.
I started working with a coach (Gerry) to help me refine my website and work out where I’m heading with all of this effort. We’ve been working together for about 6 months now and it’s been a really good experience. Apart from having some good experience setting up photography websites and blogs, he asks all sorts of great questions which really gets me thinking. He is always encouraging me to think ahead and try to understand my why and where this is heading.
I can honestly say that I’m not sure where this is all leading, but it does feel like I’m heading in a definite direction - i.e., I don’t feel like I’m all over the map, but heading along a specific path - I’m just not sure where that path is leading yet and I’m ok with that - I’m enjoying the steps along the way.
I’ve been finding that writing the blog has helped me a great deal in terms of solidifying my thoughts or even working through some challenges and getting clarity around things that I’m working through. At this point even if nothing came of this blog I would feel very satisfied as it has served a good purpose for me.
At the outset I said that I wanted to create community and I feel like that is definitely starting to happen. I’ve also started floating around the idea of setting up a mindfulness retreat (listen to this podcast where I first spoke about this), but it’s still in the infancy stages in my brain. Who knows what we’ll be talking about in a year from now or what this effort will have yielded.
What are your thoughts about the future direction of this blog? Anything you’d like to read/see more of? less of? Would you be interested in attending a mindfulness retreat? I’d love to hear from you either in the comments below or drop me a message by clicking on the Connect With Me button.
The future is unclear like this foggy scene, however it’s beautiful to witness it unfolding.
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
