Via twitter (HT: @meghancward), I came across Roni Loren’s blog and her post about the Life Cycle of a Blogger. I thought it was pretty amusing, and good advice for anyone considering starting a blog or website. Definitely check it out.
As evidenced by my earlier post today about fixing a coding bug, this website is still a work in progress. I started it for many reasons: it’s an place where I can write daily, it’s a chance to learn how to code (at a very remedial level), and maybe I could start a conversation about issues that interest me. I don’t think these ideas are very unique as far as bloggers go, but they were enough to motivate me.
Keeping me motivated is an entirely different issue. Loren is right on the money about experiencing highs and lows while blogging. Trying to work full time, write here, write fiction, and still have a life can be a challenge. Little breaks, like my trip to Arizona are so very welcomed. Especially if I cut myself off from the internet. And even though I watch my Klout score tumble as a consequence. The reboot, and the improved mental health it brings, is a wonderful thing.
Stepping away lets you refocus, and reset your goals. In the future, I think you may see the quantity of posts dip, but I hope the quality will increase. More detailed book and movie reviews. More insightful commentary on writing. More starting “What if” posts. We’ll see. That’s what I’m thinking now. I’m trying to reconfigure my work-life balance a bit. But who knows? I could wake up tomorrow and find myself in one of Loren’s other stages and change things radically.
I guess you’ll just have to tune in to find out. Any bloggers out there? What do you think of Loren’s post? How do you work through the stages?
I didn’t catch her post, but as a blogger who’s been doing this for years, I know it’s not always easy to blog regularly and with the same intensity. Being able to adjust and change helps a lot!
Thanks for the mention. 🙂 I hear you on having to step back sometimes. And honestly, the whole Klout score thing makes me crazy. It’s just another number for us to tortures ourselves with if we let it. For the record, I took my blog (which is by far where I have my biggest following/influence/hits, my tumblr, and my google+ off my Klout profile and my score didn’t change at all. So I’m not impressed with it’s “accuracy.”