Thursday, May 14, 2015

I Want Your Opinions! Please!

           I have been considering my options for this blog.  For one thing, it will be under construction.  I am finally going to go through and put labels/tags on my posts, which has been something I should have done from the beginning.  For all of my new followers, a few years ago, I got into a bad habit of only posting once a month and at the last minute (meaning 11:59pm on the last day of the month), and I want to steer myself away from that this time around.  I may not make it every week, but I’m hoping to post at least once every two weeks, and knowing how I am, I will not set a certain day of the week to post because I get too OCD about it.  That being said, I will try to set some things in stone.  I am joining the Insecure Writers Support Group, so you can expect a post the first Wednesday of each month.  It’s all a work in progress and here is where you come in: Yes you! My followers and readers, including those of you visiting from Facebook.  I would like you guys to tell me your ideas, and who knows, I may just use them :)

·       First of all, I am thinking about starting a second blog devoted to hobbies and special interests.  I have an eclectic assortment of interests, but it mainly boils down to being a nerd.  I’m not exactly sure where I would go with it, but I like the idea of having a separate place to talk about my favorite movies and post pictures of my cats.  I might also use it to try out some short fiction stories.  Does this sound like a good idea or am I better off using Instagram and Pinterest for this sort of thing?

·       What are some repeatable, topical posts that you’ve used or seen?  I saw the Battle of the Bands, but I’m just not that well-versed in music.  I have considered using Throwback Thursday in some way.  And if I do the nerd blog, how about a Meme Monday?

·       Let me know any other ideas or suggestions you may have, and thanks in advance :)

           I will probably post next week to let you know any decisions I’ve made and I will go back to my regular posts about life lessons sometime in June.  It has been nice to take the month of May off after diving into the April A to Z Challenge, but I am gearing up for getting this blog into a new normal.

11 comments:

  1. Just my opinion, for what it is worth, LOL, I have found it easier to maintain one blog than two; I would just lump everything together on one blog, but again, that is just my preference. I know some people do the Simple Woman's Daybook meme weekly; can't think of any else at this moment. It is good to take some time to figure out what direction you want to take your blog :)

    betty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for responding :) I will update with some of my decisions next week.

      Delete
  2. I don't think adding blogs is a good idea if you're not going to be blogging regularly. I have had up to 5 blogs at a time, 2 general ones, and 3 very specific ones and maintained pretty well for a couple of years, but...I blogged on most of them multiple times a week, and one almost daily. Just a few days ago I deleted 2 of them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Liz, first of all, congratulations on finishing the A to Z Challenge!!! That is a HUGE accomplishment! Especially, that you went from posting once a month to 26 posts in one month.
    I'd say that you need at least one post a week to keep people coming. I'd consider having an arts/hobbies day of the week or week of the month instead in the beginning. If it is successful, you could always split it off. I recently started the WeekendCoffeeShare over at PartTimeMonster. That is a post made on Saturdays.
    And for my own amusement, I started I Saw It on Facebook posts last fall, where I take a photo or graphic I saw on Facebook and then expound upon why it clicked with me. I try to do one of those a week. Look around for something that is uniquely yours for a repeating theme post.
    I like your statement about writing about what God is teaching you! Maybe that could be a weekly or bi-weekly theme for you.
    Whatever you decide I wish you all the best! And I followed you back. ;)
    Life & Faith in Caneyhead

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like that "I Saw It on Facebook" idea, that's the sort of thing I had in mind when I mentioned Meme Mondays. I will post my decisions/conclusions for this post on Thursday this week.

      Delete
  4. Been giving more thought to your question about blogging. I did sorta what Barb above suggested. I had a travel blog where I posted lots of info about places we traveled to. At some point I decided to highlight Friday's for a Flat Stanley type of travel post...gearing it for kids and or families with kids. Then I branched out and Flat Stanley has his own blog for a couple of years. It didn't pan out the way I hoped. I encouraged families to make a Flat Stanley and use it when they traveled to help the kids learn things and then to share on the blog. I set aside a specific day that would happen, but very little participation took place. Ultimately, this is one of the blogs I deleted. You could have Scripture Sunday, where you post a scripture you like and chat about it. You could do a 10 thought Tuesday where you chat about your hobbies, and life in general. Then if you get into blogging twice a week you can always add other days. Meme's are a fun way to start and it gives you structure. There are wordless Wednesday's where people post a cool photo without text........quick and easy, There are throw back Thursday's where you post a picture from a previous year ...everyone loves old fun memories. There are follow me Friday meme's where you can build more followers. Start with whatever seems easiest to you and build from that. Start with a topic that is your passion, or something you feel you're knowledgeable about. And I am your newest follower. Thanks for stopping by Bridge and Beyond, much appreciated. I have a personal blog, Sandy's Space where I post a large variety of things if you want to poke around for ideas, I post there less frequently, and my travel blog has dust bunnies on it...trying to decide if I have the time to continue, but feel free to look around, again you might get an idea. I used to post frequently there. The charity truly takes a huge chunk of time for me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm taking some time to visit other blogs I was not able to make it to during the April challenge. It was my first year, so I'm still learning. I think having two blogs is not a bad idea. When I first started blogging, I threw everything onto one blog. I soon realized specific posts were getting buried. So I split it up. Now I have my main blog used mostly for my creative writing, poetry and short stories.

    As for suggestions? I do a feature called a rant. Each week I take one topic and light-heartedly complain about it. Take whatever your forte is, and find something to write about it at least once per week. If it's movies? Do a movie review each week. Put a twist on it, explain how it reflects society. Or a few of the main actors and showcase other films they've been in you enjoy.

    Even with the music theme, you don't have to be well versed. With just a bit of research, you can list the number one song from years in the past. Perhaps a Friday feature where each week you pick a different year and list the top 5 or 10 songs from 1987, or 1992, or 2004. Each week, change it up. Then you can describe which of the songs you enjoy, which you hate, or which you may have discovered during your research. Just find something you enjoy, then the research won't be a chore.

    As for tagging, I couldn't tell you how much I love when people do that. I do it myself and it's a great way to find what else the blogger has discussed. Personally, it's a great way for you to find the exact blog post you may be looking for if you want to reference it.

    Hope those suggestions have helped. I'll stop back to see how things are going.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by and for all the advice. Congrats on completing your first A to Z challenge!

      Delete
  6. On my blog, on Monday's I do writing/publishing posts which include tips. On Wednesdays, I do fun/random posts. And on Fridays, I host guests. So you don't have to do a separate blog for your hobbies, just designate a certain day or time of the month for it.

    For Monday's I know a meme called Monday Mishmash. Here the link to the blogger who created it so you can see what it looks like. The only downside is that there's no sign up list. http://kellyhashway.blogspot.com/2015/05/monday-mishmash-51815.html

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the suggestions! I'll go check out that blog.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by! Please feel free to leave a comment and I will visit you back :)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...