HW: #TuesdayThoughts – The most difficult part of blogging.

After I wrote more than 50k words in the month of November for a single project, I realized that lack of time is not a viable excuse any longer. I have been lying to myself. And now the jig is up.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been zooming in on my blogging process, in order to have this machine run in the right gear.

It turns out that once time is no longer a factor, sitting down and letting my fingers run through the keyboard in a frantic manner is something that comes to me rather easily. Surely, the delivery can always be improved, but as long as I get my message across and make someone feel something, I am content.

If the problem is not lack of time, or the ability to write, what do I struggle with? – I asked myself, because struggle I do.

Finally, the answer dawned on me.

The topic.

Not having a niche is a blessing, but it can also be a curse.

It has been my conscious choice not to narrow down my blogging interests. This allows me the freedom to write about any- and everything. I prefer it that way. However, it turns out that not having a niche can be troublesome at times.

I would compare writing a post to a tea store. You walk in and you see WALLS of different types of leafy tea. So many options to choose from. That is how I feel sometimes – overwhelmed with all the choices and possibilities. Honing down on what I want to write about can be a tedious task.

As you might know, I usually browse through the Internet on a daily basis, in hopes of picking out some interesting bits to write about (for my NROPs). Sometimes (like last week), I find more than one topic, and then I have to figure out which one I feel more passionate about. However, sometimes, I find nothing that I am zealous about. What then? I panic. I stare at the blank page of what is supposed to be my post. My fingers are ready to start dancing, but my brain does not know which sheet music to use. (Yes, I know I just mixed dancing and instrument playing in that analogy. See how confusing writing a post can be?)

You could argue that it is lack of inspiration, but I do not see it that way. I feel inspired. The moment I find the right topic, I start floating in mid air.

Now that I have identified a specific issue, I can begin working on it.

Do you analyze your blogging?

Do you have a niche?

If you have a niche, do you ever want to write about something else?

If you do not, do you struggle with finding a topic for your posts?

How do you come up with a topic?

What is the hardest part of the blogging process for you?

Stay golden,

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79 thoughts on “HW: #TuesdayThoughts – The most difficult part of blogging.”

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  2. Q. Do you analyze your blogging?

    A. No, people tell me I should to capitalize on, but I think that could stifle me.

    Q. Do you have a niche?

    A. I believe so.

    Q. If you have a niche, do you ever want to write about something else?

    A. Not really, no.

    Q. If you do not, do you struggle with finding a topic for your posts?

    A. Not especially.

    Q. How do you come up with a topic?

    A. Just paying attention to the madness around.

    Q. What is the hardest part of the blogging process for you?

    A. Keeping up with reading other bloggers. I follow more than a few, so finding the time can sometimes be hard. But I do enjoy reading my fellow bloggers posts.

    Liked by 5 people

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    1. I have to admit that I am a bit surprised to hear you say that you do not analyze your blogging. But then again, I do see how it could restrict you and deter you from your original goal.

      About the niche – I thought yours was politics with a pinch of ridiculousness. How does a post about God fit into all this? (I’m not challenging you, or disapproving. Just curious how you see it.)

      Keeping up with the Kardashians can definitely be time-consuming. I feel your pain. But like you – I enjoy doing it.

      Liked by 3 people

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  3. Ha. If I’d walk in a tea store, I’d be only looking at mint tea.
    I know I like that one and I have no interested in tasting others.
    And that’s pretty much me in other life aspects too.

    I sometimes read back my old post and think that I was a much better blogger then than nowadays.
    I put (and had) more time into it.
    Now I just write and hope for a few likes and interesting comments.
    But lately I feel like I got too little responses to spend too much time on it.
    That is bad.

    Finding a topic is easy for me.
    Especially now. I meet new people weekly with their stories.
    So inspiration is everywhere.

    The hardest thing about blogging for me is not always having access to a computer.
    I sometimes try to comment by the App on the phone.
    Sometimes even write an entire blog.
    It’s annoying enough to type on the phone. I make a lot of mistakes and then people point out my mistake.
    Then I just think “why bother”.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Mint tea… hmmm… interesting. As a child, I hated it, because I associated it with being sick. (My parents would have me drink it when I had an upset stomach.)
      But as an adult, I like it.
      I have some teas I prefer, too. But then, the tea stores have SO MANY different types. Various blends. They smell and taste so good. One better than the other. There isn’t just 1 mint tea, you know?

      I read through some of my old posts, too. And it goes both ways – sometimes I cringe because of the typos/ errors, while other times I marvel at the content. The funny thing is that those posts didn’t get as many views/ likes/ comments as some of my newer ones. Another supporting reason why I’m so confused about stats.

      I’ve read that SO many times – that you have to be consistent. While I see this as not always being true for some of the “big” bloggers, I’m starting to believe that it’s the case for me. Maybe it’s the same for you? Maybe people are worried that you’re leaving blogging behind and so they don’t put that much effort into commenting?

      I could NOT write a post on the phone. I refuse to have the app. Actually, it was my little secret that I did download it over the Christmas break, because I had no access to the computer, but I couldn’t keep away for 2 full weeks (especially because I WAS often bored, or just wanted to escape family). I browsed through some comments. It was a terrible experience. So impersonal and tedious.

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      1. Oh yeah! I definitely also cringe at my typos.
        When I write, I don’t write down all the words. My brain just works faster than my fingers.

        I have hit rockbottom stats wise. The other day I got only 16 likes on a post.
        It are these Facebook post which I personally enjoy, but others apparantly don’t.
        It makes me sad, because I thought would be a quick to make people grin.
        Maybe blogging isn’t for me after all. Maybe I fit more in a Facebook type of world. I got a lot of likes on there back in the days.

        Liked by 2 people

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  4. Wow… it felt like your post was pointing a finger at me

    I don’t have a niche I write however I am inspired , its like the keyboard and I are in sync whenever I start typing then boom mid sentence I have all this idea just wanting to come together at the same time.

    Blogging is a struggle but I love to write my problem is topic to write on.

    Thanks for sharing this post. It means a lot💖

    Liked by 2 people

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  5. If you have trouble coming up with topics, as nearly every blogger does at times, you are probably better off without a niche. After years of writing about the same topic, it can be especially difficult to come up with things you haven’t already said.

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  6. I actually have more ideas than time. When an idea comes to me I start a draft. It may just be a title or a few notes. When I have time to fit it in I can go back to it. This might work for you – when there is more than one thing that you feel passionate about save some for when there is nothing.

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    1. Thanks for the idea.
      I did that once or twice in the past, but usually, by the time I came back to it, I wasn’t as excited about it as I was back when I created the draft.
      But I am working on streamlining that. A title, or an essence sentence.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. You’re welcome. I have many drafts that I have not gotten back too and some that I have deleted. I also have had some that I have gone back to after a year and finished and some of the notes that have been incorporated into other posts. It’s good to know they are there if I need them.

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          1. I think that trashing drafts is a mistake. An idea that excited me once, but doesn’t excite me now, may one day excite me again in the future, or resonate with some current event. I currently have 90 drafts, going back years. It doesn’t cost anything to retain them, even if they never end up going anywhere, so why delete something that may be worthwhile at some point in the future?

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            1. You’re not wrong. However, it’s a part of my… I don’t know if I can call it OCD… Or maybe it’s just a fear of becoming a hoarder. I get rid of things that I don’t use and don’t see using. Might I use it in the future? Sure, but what are the odds? (Yes, I do consider it all before I do the dumping.) I used to keep all the drafts but then I never went back to review them. The more there were, the less I checked. And then I couldn’t find the things that I actually did want to keep and find. It was just annoying. It made me feel like I was surrounded by a landfill and it gave me some sort of an axiety. Even though I don’t mind a creative mess, I do like being organized and having so many drafts with random thoughts just wasn’t working for me.

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  7. I like to think I have a niche. I mostly blog about three topics (blogging, writing, and productivity), and while having a niche guides me on what to write about, it makes me feel “constrained” sometimes. For instance, I was hesitant to write that blog post about what’s going on in my country because I wasn’t sure if my blog was the right place to discuss that topic.

    [sigh]

    I don’t really struggle with to come up with topics. I like to think that we’re all surrounded by blog topics. Everything around us has a story to tell. It’s left to us to decide whether or not a story is newsworthy.

    Ah, the hardest part of the blogging process is reading other bloggers. I follow many bloggers, and I feel obligated to read their posts since most of them read mine. Some nights, I’d come online on WordPress and see nearly fifty blog posts that are waiting to be read.

    That thing can be overwhelming, Goldie.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. I, for one, thought that the post about the elections in Nigeria was a great piece. Although, I did feel weird reading it on YOUR blog. I wasn’t expecting it. Plot twist!

      You’re right – plenty of topics. Picking the right one can be difficult.

      I understand about the reading part. We barely have time to write, and then we are expected to read… But I do enjoy it! So I read when I can. When I cannot, oh, well.

      Liked by 1 person

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  9. Do you analyze your blogging?
    Not really no.

    Do you have a niche?
    Nope i don’t, I’ve tried in the beginning but soon lost all the ideas

    If you have a niche, do you ever want to write about something else?
    I don’t have a niche and always want to write things different

    If you do not, do you struggle with finding a topic for your posts?
    Not really no

    How do you come up with a topic?
    Something inspires me. A thought most of the time

    What is the hardest part of the blogging process for you?
    Gaining viewers, readers and followers

    Liked by 3 people

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  10. Oh my.. you could be writing about me. My answers yes to the first 4.

    I randomly pick something to write about, or its sheer intuition, or whats running through my mind, or planned.

    I find , finding time hard, writing, inspiration hard right now. I feel i have written it all and now i feel i am repeating. I am not a writer, it is hard for me.

    But i love sharing my thoughts and inspiration and i love the wordpress community.

    I want to improve my writing and my blog.

    I am a bit of a mess right now.. i hope to snap out of it soon.😔😉😂😆🙄😥🖒🌹🤒😇

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Every now and again I feel like I write something I already wrote about before (but I cannot go reading all my hashtag posts to make sure I have not). The thing I tell myself is that this time I’m writing it differently. It’s interesting to see how what we wrote on topic A last year might not be exactly what we would write today.

      I’m sorry to hear you’re in shambles. Hopefully, you will be out of it in no time!

      Liked by 2 people

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  12. Sometimes I struggle to find topics that are “right” for my blog. I know I can write every day given a task/writing prompt, but I don’t know that everything I’d write would be interesting for the blog. From following different blogs, I’ve learned that no matter the blogging style or the type of post, all types of blogs can be/are successful with moderate to high numbers of comments and following. This has been erasing those limiting beliefs that I have about how a blog or blog post should be this way or that way. I’d like to blog daily, but I’m still working on what blogging means to me. I know for sure that I want blogging to help me become a better writer, I want to learn from other bloggers/writers. The time issue used to be the hardest part of blogging, but I’m learning to write shorter posts, not overthink my post, and write about anything I feel like writing.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. You’re right. Being “the best” writer does not guarantee you a successful blogging career. And a blog can be successful without being perfect. It’s frustrating sometimes, but also rather freeing, because it allows you to just write.

      I am still against every-day blogging. To do that 365 days a year, I would have to be earning a single income from blogging. Otherwise, I’m not interested. I think it gets taxing on the readers, too.

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      2. I would find it impossible to blog every day, day in, day out. I’ve recently settled in to a one-post-a-week cycle, which is, I find, a good balance. My mind is on the current post, and the next one. Scheduling in advance gives me the opportunity to tweak this week’s post, while working on the next. It’s not too taxing – on either myself, or my readers.

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  13. When it comes to blogging, I couldn’t say that I consider myself a blogger. My posting is too scarce, and my subject matter isn’t something I would think most people would want to read. With that said, topics aren’t usually something I have trouble with. They usually come to me during the day or night, but I fail to act on it and write. I do this anonymously, and have trouble focusing when there are people around me. Everything is done on my phone (although sometimes I borrow a pc), and it can be exhausting when typing on a tiny screen. I’ve had many ideas for stories and other short writings, and many unfinished intros to them, but ultimately I doubt myself and they never see completion.

    The hardest part of the blogging process for me (writing and completing my pieces aside, as I see it as a separate issue), is pressing that post button. Even though the traffic on my site is almost nonexistent, the fact that something I wrote is visible to others scares me.

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    1. I actually think that your subject matter is VERY popular in the blogging world.

      Writing on your phone? I couldn’t do that. Or at least, I wouldn’t want to. That explains why you post so rarely.

      Why do you doubt yourself? What’s the worst that can happen? Is it really that bad?

      Why does it scare you? Is it the possibility of criticism?

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      1. Thank you. Yes, I have to make do with what I have. In all honesty, there’s been a number of events that have given me an “I’m not good enough” mindset. In short, I doubt myself because I feel that myself or my work isn’t good enough. The worst that can happen is someone doesn’t like it, which is no problem for me. Criticism is essential in my opinion, for any kind of work, especially writing. Constructive criticism can go a long way in honing one’s skills. “Scares” was probably not the right word. Truth is, I feel intimidated by all of the bloggers and writers, here at WP and everywhere else.

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        1. I can relate to my writing not being good enough. I think a lot of us are plagued with such doubt. For me, it stems from always wanting more. Wanting to learn and do better.
          Comparing yourself to others is magnified on here, for sure. But, in a way, I think it’s a good think, because you see the diversity. What you think is great, might not be great in someone else’s eyes. Someone you hold in high regard might be totally uninteresting to others. And people, whom you consider average writers can be adored by others. There is room for everyone.

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  15. Do you analyze your blogging?

    I analyse my stats ALL THE TIME. Probably way too much, but I enjoy it and then blog about it so I see it as a win/win situation.

    Do you have a niche?

    My blog is writing-centric. With a sprinkling of cat gifs.

    If you have a niche, do you ever want to write about something else?

    I would love to share my awkward/funny dating stories and advice, but I do that on Quora & Reddit anyway. I like to keep my stories separate from my blog in case I offend someone, but in reality anyone can find them. Actually, one of my dating nightmare stories made it onto a very popular online magazine in Australia (they edited out some bits and made me look bad…) Luckily, I wrote the story anonymously, but it was still shared widely on Facebook and some people at work who read the magazine put two and two together… and figured out it was me. Oh the shame hahaha. I was also terrified my ex would find the article, as I live in a small town and that could have been super awkward running into him after I outed him as a douchebag (imo he is, but it’s 50/50 that I’m also to blame).

    If you do not, do you struggle with finding a topic for your posts?

    Cat gifs can be applied to so many different scenarios and life struggles, so I think I’m covered for the next ten years – at least.

    How do you come up with a topic?

    I get most of my ideas from other bloggers or writing sites like ‘Writer’s digest’. Usually the topics I come up with are things I’m interested in learning more about. A.k.a how do I make more money blogging!? LOL

    What is the hardest part of the blogging process for you?

    Replying to comments. I feel awful when I miss some and don’t realise until a year later.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Now I’m curious about that famous story.

      I can see why you might feel uneasy about putting it on your blog. It surely would be something “different” to see among your other posts. But offending someone? Maybe you should make a separate category for those? Just an idea.

      I’ve got to look into Writer’s digest some more. Thanks for the hint.

      Even though I think I’m pretty good about replying to comments, every now and again, I notice one I didn’t reply to MONTHS ago. It’s mortifying.

      Like

      Reply

  16. 1. Yes. To a degree… All blogs evolve just like the people that write them. I analyze data before I post, analyze my HTML code and analyze old posts for link breaks & missing pix.

    2. I love history, photography, music, movies, interesting people, spiritual items & the Chris Thomas material.

    3. I am flexible enough to write about anything that appeals to me. Over a decade ago, I blogged about politics. Not interested anymore.

    4. I do struggle sometimes. There are days when history is just not interesting or I’m tired.

    5. Topic…it helps to stick with a day & a time frame for me. But, still be flexible.

    6. Time. History research can be time consuming esp. if facts are hard to come by.

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  17. Goldie your blog is amazing because it gets people to think! I always enjoy your posts because they make me want to improve and I am sure that this is what others feel as well.

    My nichES (yes plural) are about God, life in 🇷🇴 Romania, health, motivation and happiness, cooking and of course saving time for the fun things in life. My goal is to make others smile. I don’t always succeed but what the hey… I try. I know my nichES are too many but I can’t help it… maybe it’s the MS… lol!

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words, Christy. It’s an honor to have readers like you.

      LOL. As I’ve said it before – I like when people are able to laugh at themselves. Your blog is a great example of how nichES CAN work. I think I’m in the same boat.

      Liked by 1 person

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  19. I always write according to mood which is why it’s hard to stick on a particular niche. The hardest part would be to blog everyday. I mean when I initially started writing I would post everyday and then it lasted for a month and half and then it was mostly alternative days and now it’s almost weekly if not monthly. So yes it takes up a whole lot of time but then you got to stick up with what you love. ❤

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    1. I say I could never write every day. And then I go ahead and do a week of hashtag posts every month. I surprise myself. Sometimes you just need to push yourself. But not always, of course. There is time and place for everything. I do believe that those who post daily, or multiple times a day even, will burn out at a higher rate.

      Thank you for catching up on my posts.

      Like

      Reply

  20. When I first started “Seeking Divine Perspective,” I wondered if I would ever run out of things to say. But if I’m truly presenting God’s perspective (what I’m “seeking” to do), it will be the perspective of the One who created the universe and everything in it, so that should be a pretty long list of topics. 😉 Of course, the purpose of the blog is to present God’s perspective as opposed to the flawed perspective we humans have, but unfortunately so far there seems to be no lack of examples of that, either. :/

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  23. It took me a long time to realize it, but it’s possible to have several ‘niches’. The WordPress.com system allows you to maintain multiple blogs, at no additional cost (other than a little admin overhead). I now have several ‘micro-blogs’, whereas in the past I just posted everything on ‘Wibble’, and figured that the ‘categories’ would sort out the apparent wibbliness. At some point, for example, I might split off my ‘bonzai diary’ category into a separat blog (though that’s not a priority for me right now).

    Variety is the spice of life. Someone famous said that once, a long time ago.

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    1. That’s true. I could have different sites. And, now I know that you can link the sites to your main account and hopefully not have to log in and out into different accounts. (Although, you have to have different emails for each one. No?) But, that would split my readership. Or maybe it would multiply it. Hmm… I will ponder this…

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      1. (Although, you have to have different emails for each one. No?)

        You’re mistaken; you can have multiple sites on the same WordPress.com account. I have a baker’s dozen of them myself (some of which need to be culled). WordPress support says that ‘there is no limit on how many sites you can have in your WordPress.com account‘; I do, however, recall reading somewhere that they reserve the right to apply restrictions.

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