My Blog

Yesterday in Finding Time to Write in Our Busy Lives at I talked about was to make sure that you have time to write. I know I have mentioned it before in previous posts, but I forgot to mention how important it is that you remain consistent in your writing.

Breaking bad habits
I went to a course in student leadership a couple of years ago, and there they talked about how hard it is to break new habits. I might be a bit off here since it was a while a go, but setting a new habit after breaking an old one takes close to a month. That means that if you want to get something going into your daily routine if must force yourself to go about it for almost 30 days! Can you truly afford to blow off your writing saying, “I’ll get to it later?” (See my guide on Habit Kicking if you would like some ideas on how to do this.)

So what does this have to do with consistency?
Consistency just like everything else is about forming a habit, and sticking to it. If you want to be consistent, then 1st you need to go about forming a habit from this. This could mean writing a certain amount per day, or just getting ready for the day ahead, but make sure that you have a plan as to when you are going to write.

Ok, so what does this have to do with my writing?
Taking a break is always good here and there, but as I said up above about how hard it is to break old habits, and start new ones. Well, writing is no different… If you sit around and do nothing all day, then naturally your blog/work will look like a piece of junk. (Metaphorically speaking of course.) Don’t worry about going crazy, but just make sure that you are sticking to a schedule.

How big of a schedule do I need?
It will differ for what you are writing, but with LoaTW I tend to go with 2-3 times a week. This way I give time in-between posts for readers to comment, and I can get back to all me readers that have questions. In addition it gives me time to myself to help prevent from Burning out.

Common things to look out for, and things to do when you aren’t posting
• Posting once a day is good, but don’t continuously post MORE than once a day as it will cause your readers to leave just as much as a blog that has 1 post a month will. People don’t like too much or too little, you need a balance.
• Sometimes you need to force yourself and that is good, but if you are not having fun with your writing then it is time to take a break. (I mean isn’t this the reason you are writing in the 1st place?)
• If you aren’t getting anyone to read during your off days spend some time commenting on other blogs. This will help you get a fan base (if you do it correctly) and will hopefully get you a few comments for your latest post.
• READ! I stress it a lot, and I know I’m starting to sound repetitive but it is simply the best method out there to help improve your writing. Whether it be in a book, or a blog using a reader (Using Google Reader to Improve Your Writing), it’s important to both get ideas, and to see what works/doesn’t.

So how bout you…What is the schedule that you follow? Do you have it written down or is it just in your head? And what about the list…Is there anything that you would add?

Pic by salvez from Flickr