Thursday, March 17, 2011

Writing Routines and Blog questions

My wife has gone away.

She's in London visiting friends and I'm here working and watching basketball. What's funny is I thought this was going to be an ideal time to get a bunch of revising and editing done. I mean, it was going to be time to sit down, pound out some dents and get two WIPs in good shape.

Yeah. That's not working out too well.

You see, when the wife is around, I know exactly when I'm going to write. It's from when I get back from the gym and shower (about 4:45) until she gets home from work (between 6 and 6:30). I want to be done before she gets home, because I want to spend time with her. We're both busy, so we make time when we get it.

But now, with her not around, I'm not doing a good job of sticking to the routine. Instead, I keep saying "I have time, I can do it later." And while I've gotten some stuff done, it hasn't been the big jump I've hoped. Most of the time I'm just getting things done because it's, oh say, ten o'clock, and I better not let this day pass without doing anything.

It never occurred to me that I'm a routine writer. I always felt that I'm a streaky writer, and I write every day because it's going well.

Turns out, that's not true. I work better in a routine. Hopefully the wife comes back and we can settle back into the routine again.

Until then, it's: YOU BETTER GET WORK.... YOU'LL REGRET IT. Whenever I can.


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I've been thinking about relaunching my old blog.

Here's the thing:

Between this blog and the On the Banks blog, I'm not sure what I have to say. I kind of blogged myself out over at the Writing Block. I tried to do too much.

One day it would be an education topic, the next a book review, the next New Jersey, the next sports, and then a wild card on Friday. Something posts (the NJ ones) would get a bunch of hits. The others would just kind of sit there.

Here it's easy. I know I can come on here and talk about writing, books, or promotion. At On the Banks I talk Rutgers hoops. The topic is there for you, you just need to find a new spin on it.

So I have a questions (#2), what kind of blogs do you prefer? One like mine that varied its topics from day to day or a focused blog?

8 comments:

Paul D Brazill said...

The more time you have, the less you do. Join the club!

John McFetridge said...

Well, I like a blog post that starts a conversation. On any topic, really, so I prefer blogs that are all over the place rather than focused.

Maybe that's because I don't really understand what "focused" means...

Bryon Quertermous said...

I prefer blogs where you say stuff and then the comments fill up with people mocking you about it.

Steve Weddle said...

I like blogs to stay focused. I can go to MURDERATI for crime fiction talk. If I want to get into celebrity gossip, I can go to, well, wherever that is. Same with sports.
I don't want the Comedy Channel on my TV to play Seinfeld reruns followed by Schindler's List followed by the Yankees game.
I can surf to other blogs if I want other subject matter.
That's why I have Google Reader.

Joelle Charbonneau said...

The busier I am the more writing I actually get done - for exactly the reason you mentioned. I know I have to get it done during a certain period of time. When I have too much free time during the day I find I don't get as much done. (Unless I am at the end of a manscript and am so excited by the light at the end of the tunnel that I can avoid distractions.)

As for blogs, I like focused blogs that start conversations - so I guess I'm part John and part Steve...um scary thought.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I like blogs that start a conversation--like John. I think it's very hard for a solo blog to post regularly if it's too focused.
Or, if like me, you'd rather ask than answer, an unfocused one works out okay. Or, if like me, you don't have that much expertise but like to chat, unfocused works well. I guess generally, I am unfocused but like to listen.

Constant Writer said...

I think both kinds of blogs have merit. The focused ones are easier to find because you can pinpoint your interests easily. But the ones that have different things each day can be fun too because you never know what you'll get. Sometimes they're hit or miss, but I think that's the way of it with anything.

Diana said...

It doesn't matter whether the blog is focused or all over the place, if it starts a conversation or gives me something interesting to think about, then I will follow it. Like this blog here. I don't write crime, but you all have interesting stuff to say so I follow it and have a link to it on my blog.