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Growing Through Blogging

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vintage-typewriterOne of the most daunting tasks in blogging is making a schedule for writing and sticking to it!  Personally, for me, I am a night owl and most of my writing is done late night after the family has found their pillows.  I’ve been blogging a lot over the last few months, as well as spending a lot of time on my fantasy novel which takes most of my brainpower and writing focus.

Outside of the fantasy novel I’m working on, and the increased writing schedule here on the blog all my content has been with my podcast; All Things Geekery that my co-host and I do twice a month.  Podcasting was just the next step for my co-host and I as we had both wanted to get into it for a long time.  I’ve still got a huge passion for writing and always will, but my focus has changed on how that content is published and driven.  Which is all based around the outlets I’ve chosen to create material in like WordPress, Podcasting, Twitch, Writing etc.

My love for writing started when I was a kid and has continued through my adult years and blogging was where this crazy journey really changed things for me.  Blogging is such a great way for writers to grow and connect with an audience or just have that creative outlet for the pure enjoyment of writing. This outlet gives us a way to go in-depth with our topics unlike most social media outlets, aka micro-blogging outlets like Twitter.  I’ve enjoyed blogging for years and it’s given me a place to hang out with others in my little corner of cyber-space.  If you’ve spent any time at all blogging or writing, you know it can be tough and at times brings some stress with it.

So with that being said, here are just a handful of tips I’ve learned over the years which I hope help you all in your writing adventures.

1. WRITE THOSE IDEAS DOWN

You never know when a good blogging idea is going to pop up, so hot those things down!  I personally go old school and use a Moleskine journal for my blogging ideas along with sticky notes, which I use different colors for different topics.  It may sound like madness but it works for me and helps keep me organized for my writing schedules. Especially now that most of my writing is going towards my book.

2. BACKLOG & SCHEDULING

Learn to schedule posts best you can and how they fit into what you want your writing life to look like. If you have time and can do it, schedule posts throughout the week and keep a backlog of posts if you are trying to hit a specific number of posts per week or month that you can quickly choose from.

3. GUEST BLOGGING

Find you some blogging friends that will allow you to do guest blogging, and or co-blogging as that’s a great way to market your content and grow each other’s sites.

4. STOCK UP

You never know when an idea will hit and you’re looking for an image of sorts to show off this lovely idea you want to blog about. Browse through images you want to use for your blog posts and keep a stock in a folder for future posts.  This will help with the last-minute search for an image, though lately, I’ve been making my own depending on the topic.  See what works best for you and your schedule.

5. MAKE A LIST & CHECK IT TWICE

Make yourself a list of items to check before you hit that publish button.

6. BREAK IT UP

Break up your posts into multiple parts if they are running long. This will help keep the reader’s attention and hopefully coming back to check out those next parts.

7. CHAT IT UP

Use those comment sections as it can be a gold mine.  Watch for questions and good topics for conversations and even potential notes for future posts.

8. DON’T SWEAT IT / DON’T STRESS IT

Life happens and if you are like me well then blogging is a hobby, so don’t stress if you don’t make those post counts you wanted.  The best thing to shoot for is consistency but when you can’t don’t sweat it.  I try to post twice a week but that doesn’t always happen.

9. REFURBISH THAT CREATIVITY

Don’t fret about reusing previous posts or topics either.  You don’t want to repost the same exact post you’ve already used, but when you are in a crunch and the creative juices aren’t flowing, then maybe an older post will kickstart things again….rework that thing and use it!

10. LEARN TO HAVE GRACE

Give yourself some grace. This is a journey that should be filled with fun and moments of learning, but also filled with mistakes and curveballs!  When you find that crazy typo or sentence that makes your eye twitch, or just doesn’t make sense at all…..”DON’T WORRY” Learn from those mistakes and let those moments become part of the journey, part of the fun and something that makes you want to become better.

These are my bread and butter items I use whether I’m writing a small blog post, or working on my novel series.  Hopefully, these few items will help you along your writing/blogging journey as much as they have helped me!

Writing A World Of Fantasy

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content-writing-typewriter-paperballs-ss-1920Doing something a little different for today’s post!  I’ve been putting a ton of time into plotting, world-building, and just getting that much needed time into writing on my novel series, so I wanted to share some fun tips I’ve learned along the way about writing in the fantasy genre.

Writing a fantasy novel is great fun – you can literally let your imagination run wild.  It’s a little different when writing a novel set in the real world as unlike books set in a reality where you can use real-life as examples, you’ll have to invent everything in your new fantasy world.  Do you enjoy writing, are you working on a fantasy novel, or have you had the notion to start one?  I hope the next few minutes while reading this helps you no matter what stage you might be in for writing a novel.

One of the best things you could do to kickstart things is to read as many classics as you can find!  No matter the type of book you begin writing this will give you a good idea about what works and what doesn’t.  Remember though that reading other people’s works is something to help with idea spawning and relax your mind.  You must take note not to simply copy the ideas you’ve read from any of the good old classics or other pieces of work you find.  If you find yourself dealing with elves, halflings, and orcs whilst being a reluctant hero on a quest to destroy a powerful item, it’s probably best to scrap it and start again. It is true that all stories are a combination of those the reader has encountered over the years. But, you should always try to find an original angle and it certainly should not be obvious what the source material was. Reading the classics will also allow you to discover how well-crafted characters interact with each other as the story progresses.

Tip 1: Use established myths and legends as the basis for your fantasy world. Think about what your fantasy world might be like.  Do your studying and find out what your world and culture are mostly like….Is it Celtic, Roman, a medieval world or a blend of multiple cultures with your own twist on it? Once you’ve chosen, go and read about the myths and legends that relate to those cultures. The mythological creatures and characters and their stories will give you a great basis for your new world.

Tip 2: Get to know your imaginary world – you need to be able to describe it in detail if you are going to convince your readers, for the duration of the book at least, that it exists. Be thorough and detail everything you can possibly imagine about the world you are creating.

  • Physical – what does your fantasy world look like? Think about and make a note of:
    • the color of the sky
    • what other planets can be seen from the surface
    • whether the air is breathable
    • what the plants look like
    • what creatures live there
    • whether there are seas
    • what the landscape looks like
    • futuristic world or something older
  • Residents – decide who lives in your newly formed fantasy world. You should spend time thinking about how they look, what they eat, how they move, whether they need sleep, how they speak to one another etc…
  • Society – what kind of society exists? Do they need money to buy things? Is there a complex system of politics they follow? Do they have a police force, a king or president? Is there a religion?
  • Special powers/magic – Do the residents have any special powers or use magic? If so, what are they and why do they exist? Does everyone have the use of them or only certain people?

Tip 3: Make your characters believable. This is one of the most essential parts of the book if you want to hook and keep readers interested in the story. A great way to achieve this is to apply logic to every character in every fantasy world you create. This means creating a set of rules that apply to the world and the character. The rules can be based on either real life or they can be simply invented by you.  Remember if you are creating the rules of the world, don’t let a BOX hold you back from being creative.  Sometimes creating our own ways is just the push we need to make that next step in our creative writing.

Tip 4: Make sure you keep careful notes of all the details you invent for your new fantasy world. This will help you maintain continuity throughout the novel. There are many ways of doing this, some writers like to have a set of cards with the details on, others set up spreadsheets; so play around with different systems to find one that suits you the best.  I personally use a book mapping chart I created in excel that helps me track all major parts of the book I need.  I hope these few steps help you get started, or give an idea of what steps to take next in writing your new fantasy novel!

Remember, have fun!! That is the first and foremost thing I can say when writing… Have Fun and lots of it!

Blaugust 2019: What Is Blank Page Syndrome

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Good morning writers, bloggers, and all those who have struggled with this freak phenomenon “The Blank Page Syndrome” you know that moment when writing you look up and realize you have absolutely no idea where to go, or what to do, or what to write about anymore.  Have you ever been there? Chances are if you write in any form or fashion, then yes you’ve experienced writer’s block!

It’s easy to become immobilized with writer’s block, but one of the best ways to get the creative juices flowing again is to give yourself just a few minutes to write creatively about something completely different.  Writer’s block is the brain’s way of saying “Hey I’m tired, I need a break you fool” so put the pen down, stop typing, and go get me a cup of coffee, or let me stare into space for a few minutes.  When writing we need mental breaks, and sometimes as writers, we get in the zone and forget that we need to step away for a bit and take those mental breaks.

Personally, I struggle with writer’s block all the time, but over the years I’ve learned what my brain needs to get past those things that trip me up.  Honestly, this is just something that takes time to discover about you personally and what trips you up when writing.  We could look at every self-help writing book out there, but truth be told, when the ole brain is tired it’s hard to push forward and force writing as it becomes tiresome, and you burn out quickly on what used to be enjoyment and passion.

So if you are at that wall-banging your head, here are a few things to think about and try.

1. Take The Step, Take The Risk

To be a writer means to take risks, putting yourself and your ideas out on a limb, making yourself vulnerable to criticism, maybe even ridicule. Does that make you step back and question if this is something you should be doing?  Just remember this is your little slice of the internet and you can make it what you want, but there will always be the Nay-Sayers lurking around!  You as a writer have to be willing to take that jump and just do what you love.  Remember that no writer can please everyone, and you will never benefit from trying to form your writing around that thought either.

2. Creating an Atmosphere

Open one of your favorite novels and pay attention to the techniques the author used to create atmosphere. What is it about the place referenced in the book that draws you? Drawing an atmosphere when writing can be one of the most creative and relaxing moments you will have when writing.  Whether it be a descriptive word or a creation of scenery for the reader to get sucked into; this is definitely a way to break the writer’s block.

3. What’s In Your Descriptions

Writing is a wonderful way to see the beauties of this world, and it’s a way to describe what you as a writer want the reader to see.  When you write look for new and fresh ways to describe what you want.  Use old drafts or stories you’ve written in the past to practice with or look up some poems to spark a new idea.  Either way getting out of your story for a bit, and looking at new ways to describe things is always a good way to improve one’s writing skills.

4. A Fantastic Fairy Tale

Fairy tales are also a good way to get the creative sparks popping! The whole point of a fairy tale was to dramatize struggles between good and evil for the most part.  So why not take a look at some of those classic gems, because at the heart of fairy tales is a reminder of pure storytelling.  Why not sit down with a good cup of tea, or coffee and try to do a play on one of your favorite fairy tales.  Make it personal and watch what happens.

5. Let That Imagination Run Wild

You don’t have to be a creative writing major to enjoy writing or a professional journalist to write about a passion you have.  You just need to be imaginative.  To have a good ghost story, the ghost needs a house to haunt, or some spooky hotel, right?  Well if that’s the case then what will you let your imagination create for this story to take shape?

Just remember the only one holding you back from writing is you.  Find what you enjoy, write like you’ve never written before, and make it fun while you do it.

Mind Mapping for Blaugust (Brainstorming Week)

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Kicking off week number two of with the topic of (BRAINSTORMING) has been interesting as I’ve seen topics all over the board so far!  With that said I have been wracking the brain on what to write about today!

I get a lot of questions around my system of note-taking, my sticky notes, and how I’ve used them to map out whatever I’m writing.   So today’s post is all about brain dumping and mind mapping.

If you are anything like me I’m sure you at one point and time struggle with the idea of what to write when to write, how to write and why would I write! Whether it’s a blog post or book….that can be a big hill to tackle on where to start.  For me, I finally just made the plunge and started writing, and a few years ago jumped in with the #NANOWRIMO group which was crazy good for getting with other writers and learning from them.

This is really where my book idea came to life as I was challenged by other writers to just jump in and begin.  Even though I had no idea really where to start, or what things looked like at the time; I did learn a system and have enjoyed the process of getting to where I am today.

A lot of people don’t write a book or blog post as they simply don’t know how to start.  They possess the idea for a book or a blog, but they don’t know what to do with it. They possess an idea for a book, but they don’t know what to do with it. They can’t imagine how they get from initial idea to a published blog post or that finished manuscript which isn’t a small feat at all so don’t think I’m playing this down.

It wasn’t until I began using the “Brain Dump” method to get my ideas that were just floating around that space in my head, to the paper so I could have a visual.  Some call this mind mapping, but for me, this is just an old fashioned Brain Dump.  Whatever you like to call it doesn’t really matter, just the methodology and way it’s used. Brain dumping will take you from a few grand book ideas to a detailed book outline you can work from to make a manuscript.  This ultimately becomes the go-to place for when you need a guide to take you from start to finish of this novel you’ve dived into.

It’s funny how our brains work as we have an analytical and creative side, so mapping those ideas out for a book or blog post when thinking about that can be tough.  Basically, mind mapping allows you to bring the two sides of your brain together in one location so that all the thoughts and information are easily visual and accessible. Once you’ve learned how to wrangle those thoughts it’s time to take a look at the actual brain dump.  This is the point where the thought has to become a reality.  So….how do you make the brain dump happen?

My favorites and staples when writing is using a large whiteboard to map out my ideas and plot pieces of the story together.  My journal is always a go-to, though lately it’s littered with sticky notes from ideas I need to go back and form into the story section I need it in.  Another favorite is the sticky note and poster board which is always fun for me as you get to move the sticky notes around and write on the poster board as well.

Examples below of my “Plot Board” and “Whiteboard”

On the left is an old push pin board my wife used to use that is currently littered with sticky notes which are all major, and minor plot points of the book. On the right is a large whiteboard that I use frequently…again with the sticky notes.  Each of the sticky notes on the whiteboard represents a portion of the book such as chapter, plot, sub-plot, character info, etc and where they fit into the timeline of the book.  May seem bonkers but visually it has helped me write clearer, cleaner and faster then I ever had before.

Maybe this is a super writing nerd kinda thing, but this is very relaxing and enjoyable for me and that’s why I’m writing this post.  I’m hoping this sparks some ideas for you as well and lights a fire so you can get to moving on that great book idea you have.

Think of the brain like this and hopefully it will help you picture what needs to happen.

Brain Dump Process

  • Creative Right Brain is where the ideas flow from and all the magic happens.  The fun stuff clicks on this side of the brain.
  • Analytical Left Brain is where the organization of all that creative material you just dumped to the paper happens.  This is where the structure of the book comes from and where your – table of contents and outline of the book will look like.

If you’ve lined everything out and keep a good record of the book and use this process then you can produce some very detailed information and great chapter outlines for your book.

Now let’s look back at the Sticky Notes and how they will help you map this book out. This is the easiest way to make a mind map of your book.

My Favorite Mind Mapping Process:

  • Grab yourself a large poster board or poster boards, or even a large whiteboard will work. Get yourself a big stack of sticky notes….multi-colored is what I like to use as I color coordinate topics to specific colors.
  • Take a single sticky note in the middle of the poster board and write your topic on it, or a book title, just depending on what you are working on.
  • Write all the related topics you can think of on sticky notes and place them anywhere on the poster board.  Sounds like chaos I know, but don’t worry about where you place them, or about organizing them, unless you are absolutely sure the topics relate to one another.
  • Fill the board with as many topics as you can possibly think of as this is the “Brain Dump” phase and when you think you’re done, look again as you will more than likely come up with more topics after taking a break, or a step back.
  • At this point, I like to take a picture of the board for reference purposes in case I have to take a break or get pulled away for something.  They are called sticky notes, not permanently held in spot notes.
  • Ok now comes the organization of the topics.  The analytical side of the brain is ready to be worked right? Look for related topics. Pick up the notes and move them around. Take a close look at what you have grouped together as they just might become the chapters of your book. More than likely, this will be the groups with the most information lumped together.  Just remember this is your book and your board so move things around how you feel fits best, and don’t be afraid to break apart groups into multiple chapters if one is too large. Just make sure you use a different colored sticky note to mark that chapter and don’t forget to name the chapter.
  • Use each of the sticky notes you have grouped together under a chapter as a sub-topic that you want to write about in that chapter.  This is where the fun begins as writing guides and book maps are a must at this point.  Sub-plots of a story can make things confusing if you don’t.

Hopefully, these few tips and my insanity have sparked some creativity for you all.  Mind mapping for me is a blast and brings a lot of enjoyment to my writing.  It takes a lot to get a story from your brain to that paper.  Sit down, start slow, find something that works for you and enjoy the process of making the next best book or blog post!

Bringing the Traffic In

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Are you looking for new ways to drive traffic to your blog?  This is always a challenge to make sure you keep people interested and coming back, but also getting new “traffic” brought in.

This is just a straight to the point top 10 list of tips and how to’s that I’ve learned from others, and picked up along the way in my journey through the blogging realm.  I hope these tips help you as they have helped me.

  1. Promote your blog posts on the major social media outlets – Including a link back to your posts can considerably increase traffic.  Check out an older post I did on using Social Media for some tips “Typing Tid-Bits for Social Media”
  2. Check the Headlines – Your headlines are what get peoples attention, particularly when you share your blog posts via social media; make sure they pique interest and relate to your article.  Be Creative, but Be Wise.
  3. Join a blogging community like ProBlogger or CopyBlogger  – This is a great way to network with others,  and promote each others content.
  4. Include links to other relevant posts on your blog – When you write a post, always be sure to mention other posts your readers may find helpful; – hence tip #2 with a link back to a post I’ve already done on Social Media before.
  5. Guest post on relevant blogs – Choose wisely as to who you guest blog with, as it doesn’t do much good if you are in an unrelated field of writing.  Make sure if you contribute for guest blogging, it’s with a highly reputable site.  Remember it’s your time that’s being used, so use it wisely and get the most out of it.
  6. Optimize Your Old Posts – Take a look through all of your old content and make sure they have relevant tags, URLS, and meta descriptions.
  7. How often do you Post? Find a good number of posts that you could commit to in a week, make a schedule and try to stick to it the best you can. Posting more frequently has in most cases always yielded a positive gain for traffic on ones site.
  8. Get on YouTube – YouTube drives the most traffic out of all social media sites, or so the numbers say… usually with an average of 2.99 pages per visit.
  9. Submit your blog posts to StumbleUpon – It truly does help!
  10. Respond, Respond, Respond – Always take the time to respond thoughtfully to your audience that has left comments your blog. This helps build the relationships and helps bring commenters back to the site for more.

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