I'm not the first blogger I've heard worry about running out of topics to cover. This is the only topic that has popped into my head of a full 10 minutes of contemplation.
The weekend snuck up on me. I have no excuses.
So what do you blog when you have absolutely no ideas. Nothing huge has happened lately. No themes struck you throughout the week. It's not time for a wrap-up. You don't have any tags. The creativity is dwindling.
The good news is, I think you still have quite a few options:
This should be a last resort. We want to hear from you if at
all possible. Which is why I'm here writing this rambling post and admitting it's really hard this week. You can always take a hiatus, though, if you're feeling really done.
Even if you can't recall something you want to blog on, go looking. Maybe you want to do writing environment because so-and-so did or ask how collaborative fiction writing even works. (I have no idea; don't ask me.)
Making excuses is an option, too, but don't do it. If it's been really difficult for you to blog of late, tell people that! I've had very little creativity this week overall and more things on my plate than normal.
This always seems to make readers happy and it's not too difficult. Here, this is one I took recently.
Cool, right? I totally forgot I wanted to share it with you guys until I went searching for a recent picture! #storyofmylife
How has your week been? I really want to know. So feel free to share. Are you doing Camp NaNo in April?
People want to know how you're doing and it's okay to tell them. I've had horrible headaches this week (thank you early pollens), but I hung out at coffee shops twice, and I'm making macaroons with my sister and a bestie home from college this weekend so that's exciting. And I also had my second book signing yesterday.
No, not in your blog post. I meant about your blog post. What does God want you to write about? For me it'd probably be including Him more ... I feel like He doesn't come through as much as He should on here since He's the foundation for everything I do.
This is totally what I'm doing for this post, not even kidding. And it's coming together. There's nothing wrong with faking it a little. No one will know unless you tell them like I just did.
~~~~~
Hop on over to my last post if you haven't filled out my questionnaires and entered the giveaways! You won't want to miss them! Now I want to hear about you and how life has been :)
Woah, you had a book signing?? You should post about that! I'd love to hear how it went and what it was like:)
ReplyDeleteYES I did! Two actually. They were really cool, so once I gather pics from friends, that's a great post idea. *scribbles it down* In short, it was awesome and I sold books, but talking to strangers is scary but I did it :D
DeleteThank you for this advice! Since I'm still a newbie blogger, I haven't run out of post ideas yet, but I'll expect that soon :P
ReplyDeleteMy life has been slowing down since the craziness of last month. I'm editing lots now, and plan to edit 50 hours for Found during Camp (which may or may not be an ambitious goal xD)
<3
audrey caylin
Of course! :D Yeah this was the first time I was really at a loss o.o I usually thinking about it early enough that I can come up with something.
DeleteOh good! I thought March was going to be slower, but so far it's been going steady! I guess I'll learn to just keep up eventually hehe. Wow, 50 hours is a good goal! I like that NaNo added the other forms of measurement, but I think I'm still going for words. Probably 40k? I'm going to start drafting the next Martin book on the 15th, though, so I'm hoping to get at least 50k drafted before the end of April. But we'll see how much time and mental energy I have O.O Good luck to you! I look forward to hearing how you do.
This is such fantastic advice!! I will definitely save this for future reference. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you found it helpful, Luke!! :D
DeleteThanks for this awesome post, Abi!
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you try to have Jesus as the center of your blog!! I try to do that too!
- Lilly Shyree (alillyingodsgarden.blogspot.com)
No problem!! It can be harder than it sounds sometimes; it seems like it's easy to get stuck on one passion (writing/books/reading) and then He doesn't show up in the posts as much as I want Him to. But I do try!! :D
Delete*applauds this post* I really like what you said about praying for the post. I don't do that as much as I should, but I try to do it with every post. And that's so exciting that you got to have your second book signing!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Hannah ^.^ I don't do it as much as I should either hehe ... one of those preach what you practice fallacies XP I know! It went better than I thought it would! :)
DeleteMy mom always says "fake it until you make it!" :D Nice post!!! :)
ReplyDeleteYep!! There's so much truth to that. And there's no reason people have to know you're faking it on a place like the internet, either ;) I just always end up telling people -_-
DeleteThis is a pretty awesome for when you run out of ideas! Though I haven't run out of ideas (probably 'cause I'm lazy to post nowadays) I hope I don't freak out when the time comes.
ReplyDeleteHehe thanks. It's been happening to me a lot of late, but the posts that I force myself to come up with and write still get the same amount (or more) of feedback, so I guess I can force creativity every once in a while. Know that you're not alone when the time does come :)
DeleteAHHH THANK YOU FOR THIS I NEED NEW IDEAS!!!!
ReplyDeleteMicaiah
www.notebooksandnovels.com
YOU'RE WELCOME!! Isn't great to know you're not alone?
DeleteUMM Yes. Who's ever not looking for new ideas? (but seriously I fish for ideas more often than I care to admit)
ReplyDeleteYeah me too O.O I wish I'd remember to write down those random brain flickers of inspiration and curiosity so I'd actually have an arsenal XP But no. Life is never so simple. Glad this was helpful :D
DeleteWow! I am bookmarking this post so that when I start my blog I can use it as inspiration if I ever run out of ideas (a problem that I will likely never have, but WHATEVER.)
ReplyDeleteAlso: You had a book signing? Where?!!
Whoa, that's awesome! :D Bookmarking is a huge compliment XD I made it longer than I thought I would before running out of ideas, so that was really nice. I haven't had an idea I didn't have to force for like ... a month now O.O *sweats*
DeleteYes, I did! I've done two near Austin, Tx in my home town :) I'll be doing one in Ft Worth in May and I'd love to do one in Kansas since that's where the novel's set, but we'll see ;) They're nerve wracking and really fun at the same time. :D
Great advice, Abi! I needed this. Even though I'm new at blogging, I worry a lot that I won't know what to post. :P But I find that if I don't stress over it, ideas will just come on their own.
ReplyDeleteYou had a book signing? That's so cool! You should definitely do a post on it. I, personally, would love to know more about what it's like to be a self publisher, especially now that your first book has been published. (I'm thinking about self publishing myself, but I don't know for sure yet.)
Thanks for this post! I hope you have a wonderful March! :)
I'm glad, Karyssa! Yeah, I've had to force ideas recently, but I still end up with pretty decent posts, even if I brainstorm my way through the first draft :D
DeleteOh that's a GREAT idea. *scribbles down book signing as post idea* Sounds like you're a perfect candidate for my self-publication I'm doing in April! :D
You're welcome! So far it's been crazy but a good month. I hope yours has been just as good! :D
I TOTALLY feel this post on all the levels. Hooray for inspirational-less blogging! :P
ReplyDeletePhew! Thank goodness I'm not alone. I've been getting more acquainted with inspiration-less blogging than I'd hoped of late hehe XD
DeleteGreat post Abi! I know your post is about WHAT to blog when you have zero ideas, but it's a great example of WHY to blog when you have zero ideas. Consistency is so important (something I'm trying to get better at) when writing, and it's so easy to get behind and let things slip.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement to get back at it!
Thanks, Evan :)
DeleteThat's very true! Consistency is a big deal for me. Getting myself in the routine of a weekly Saturday post has been really helpful. Even though I do sometimes wake up late on a Saturday not having thought about it, it still comes together even if I'm making it up like with this post ...
Sure thing! You're doing a great job on your blog! I've enjoyed reading all the posts :D
Also, Abi, I thought you might want to know about the teen writer's party I'm hosting online on April 1st. http://teenwritersparty.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteFeel free to share it! I want as many writers as I can get.
-Lilly Shyree (alillyingodsgarden.blogspot.com)
Thanks, Lilly! I'll be glad to help you plan another whenever you'd like to give it another shot :D
DeleteYou're totally right with the praying about the posts! =) *high five* Fun tips, too, lol.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you think so! I need to do that more ... *high fives you back* Thanks, Angela! :)
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