On January 5, 2011, I committed to writing a post a day for 365 days. After 29 days, I’m happy to report that I’m on track with 29 posts in 29 days. All it took was a little nudge from Scott Berkun and the other good folks at WordPress.
Just about one month into the routine, I’ve made a few observations that might be of use to anyone else considering a similar challenge.
- Writing a post a day takes discipline. In hindsight, I realized that I implied a post a day on this blog. That alone is a commitment (I already have a full-time career). And I promised “no fluff” — I want to write posts of the same quality that I like to read. Compounding the commitment are my work commitments and other websites, and you quickly see how a post a day is just the tip of the iceberg.
- Planning is essential, as I noted in post #17/365. I’m using the draft status to collect ideas and thoughts on articles I want to write, or to align publication with related events. I collect my thoughts over days and weeks, and this has greatly simplified the process of sitting down to actually write the finished article.
- Brainstorming helps, too! I tap into resources from Facebook and Twitter. I gain a lot of ideas from scanning my feeds on Flipboard or reading sites like The Daily Post which share topics and ideas for writing.
- Most of all, the support of the community helps keep you going! I have the good fortune to have a great girlfriend who inspires me (check out her blog), and a number of friends in the local WordPress and social media community here in Orange County who keep me challenged. Many thanks go out to Darin McClure, Holly Schwartz, Suki Beasla and Matthew Gallizzi. We all meet at SMMOC several times a month, and all have taking up the call to write one post a day. And we use Twitter every day, encouraging and challenging each other to keep up the cause.
The icing on the cake? I’m having fun! I have a lot to write about — much more than I have time to write. So far there is absolutely zero chance that the well will run dry. That may be either a blessing or a curse depending on your opinion of my stuff, but I’m having a good time, and more than a few people are taking the journey with me.
It’s ironic. I kicked off this year with a photo project called Project 365, where I shoot at least one photo a day for the entire year. I had heard of this before from a friend, but decided to jump in and give it a shot. There has been a synergistic relationship between the two projects. Sometimes my photo of the day will spawn an idea that I simply must write about, and sometimes the article will inspire a creative photo.
How about you? Are you taking on a post- or photo-a-day challenge? Maybe you have in the past? What has your experience been?
Eu não posto todos os dias, mas tenho postado bastante, até recebi elogios a respeito.
Estou caminhando bem no meu blog, ele tem crescido o que me deixa satisfeita.
É evidente que quero mais.Mas po enquanto tudo bem.
Eu agradeço a vocês por todas ajuda recebida até o momento.
Abraços Mina!
Obrigado pelo comentário, Mina. Mantenha-se a escrita. Tem sido um desafio às vezes, mas gratificante e divertido – mesmo emocionante. Parabéns à Scott Berkun e The Daily Post, que estabelece para o desafio!
hey, great post! Scott Berkin on WordPress has picked you out today so, I thought I’d come by and post you to my first day on postaday topics, after about a week on poetry.
Maybe someone will find it useful!
http://shitsugane.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/hitting-the-wall/
Hey Kenny! Great post! You captured the experience quite well. Committing to writing a post a day is challenging but rewarding. I would suggest that you give yourself a little break. Writing a new poem every day might grow difficult (I’d imagine), so mixing it up can help. Sometimes when I don’t have time to write, I post something “easy” like a photo with my thoughts or memories of it. Since I’m also doing a photo a day, this works well.
Keep it up, and thanks for the comment.
Great post Jeff, and well done on getting through 29 posts in 29 days. I’ve committed to a minimum of 1 per week, but am aiming for 1 a day. I also use the draft status to put ideas down before I forget them, and now have plenty of ideas ‘in reserve’!
Thanks, Yogaspirit. The draft option is great, and I’m glad you find it useful as well. It becomes my notepad for links, photos and ideas.
I also have an iPad with the WordPress app. I haven’t used it much in this way, but I’m thinking I’ll pick a week and try posting 100% from my iPad just as a test. Since my iPad follows me everywhere I go, and gives you the option to save “local” drafts (disconnected from the Internet) it might be a very useful option.
Congrats Jeff, 29 posts in 29 days~
Hi Jeff,
I took the plunge too and have been blogging daily since January. I really appreciate the tips, the idea of planing ahead sounds good, It’s sort of going to be a new way of looking at things. Looking forward to sharing the trip with you!
Thanks, Claudia. I took a look at your site as well. The book and boutique sound interesting, even though not exactly my style. But I did like your recommendations for accommodations. My girlfriend and I are planning a trip to Paris in late June, and they will come in handy!
Enjoy the journey!
HI Jeff,
I’ve been taking part, and have been keeping up (apart from yesterday when I forgot to post, but posted one today (dated yesterday) and have another scheduled for later today). I think I need to try and get a few draft posts written so that I can bring one out if I run out of time/inspiration.
I think one of the toughest things for me is that I want to make sure I link to other people taking part in the challenge on each post. While that’s not so difficult, it does take a little time reading each post to see whether it’s worth the link or not. But I think it’s been good, as I get some traffic from their blog and hopefully they get some traffic from mine.
Hi Jeff
Thanks so much for your advice. I too signed up to the postaday challenge and am aligning it with daily photographs. Sometimes though, inspiration is hard to come by. Like you, I do have a few things in draft – am please that its a recommended tool. Sadly though, I do this pretty much on my own … it would be good to have others to talk about things with.
I have difficulty knowing whether what I write is worth reading. Will persevere though.
Thanks for the pieces of advice, Jeff! I am into the post-a-week challenge and I hope to improve by posting more often than that. Your post will help me a great deal for sure.
http://digitalcatharsis.wordpress.com
I just joined postaday2011 on January 24th. Since then I have written all but two days. I knew I had missed one, but I didn’t realize I missed two until just now when I went to check. Disappointing :/
I think my biggest hurdle is I am currenlty writing in two blogs. this one here at wordpress and homemadefit.com. I really enjoy blogging. I will have to make sure the next 29 days sees 29 posts.
I really like the “schedule” feature personally. There are some days when I just know I am not going to have anytime to write and thus I can write the entire article ahead of time and schedule it to be published in the future. I try to write all my posts for homemadefit.com in advance and write the ones here at wordpress daily. But perhaps that is why I have missed two days. I get most of my ideas from people’s twits.
Thanks for your advice! I had never heard of flipboard. I officially follow you on twitter as well.
Great post you have here! I’m on my second week, and reading your entry inspired me to keep going till the end of this year. Posting a day is a noble act, but not feasible for me as of the moment. Perhaps when summer kicks in. Keep writing! 🙂
My latest post can be found here:
http://thefancydelight.wordpress.com/2011/02/13/schaden-what-on-my-favorite-word/
Hi Jeff, I found the idea of using drafts for future posts a great idea, previously they sat there and then were abandoned. Now I think of a draft as a work in progress.
I’m doing weekly and was late this week. I check out the tips and am enjoying and learning much about the blog experience.
Neri
I’m having fun! I have a lot to write about — much more than I have time to write. So far there is absolutely zero chance that the well will run dry…
+
so am I …
I’m doing the postaweek challenge, as like you I’m also doing the 365 photography project and I needed to be realistic. I carry around a little notepad where I write ideas and research and I’m about to use the schedule facility. I have a feeling it’s going to be a godsend. One of my Facebook threads has spawned a blog on swearing. I haven’t posted it yet, (currently in draft form) so would be interesting on how its received.
Thanks for the tips. Will check out Flipboard – I’ve never heard of it before.
I signed up to do PostAWeek, and was actually doing about 2 a week. Then I read a question in response to one of the PostADay prompts… and I opened up a whole new blog and have been posting every day there.
My main blog is about SharePoint and career management, and those posts require a lot of thought and tend to be pretty substantial – half of them are in the 500 – 2000 word range. The new blog is about blogging – a metablog – talking about how to blog more effectively and generate traffic in a “non-scammy, non-scummy, non-spammy way”, and the posts tend to be shorter, around 300 words or so.
http://metablogblog.wordpress.com/
I’ve lost more than one post from not capturing the idea when it hit me. “Oh, I’ll be able to remember that when I get to my keyboard…” Oops. (Though Friday I did manage to recapture one idea after over an hour of researching the aphorism that inspired the idea in the first place.)
But I still have posted daily (more or less, I’ve posted twice the next day to make up for a skipped day), and have a reserve of drafts that I could coast on for a week (assuming I can get them finished) even if the idea well dried up right now, but the more I post, the more ideas I get.
I’m having fun doing the post a day challenge, too. Good luck to you! 🙂
Olá gosto de tudo, só que não domino tudo, por isso não participo de todos os tópicos, não sei como fazer, e o que fazer, vou pedir ajuda, com o tempo espero poder participar de tudo.
Adoro vocês por nos darem aquele incentivo, e mais, estou amando arrumar novos amigos, pena que não falo nenhuma lingua, a não ser português.
E costumo postar no meio da semana + para o final da semana.
Abraços Mina!!!