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Question: How are you able to keep on top of your daily post regime? From Lizzo.
This is an interesting question because when I first started blogging I was only trying to post everyday to make writing habitual and once I started writing I couldn’t really stop so I end up with a lot of very short posts with only a couple of articles a week of any length. However, as the blog progressed and I started having a regular schedule and committing to it, I’ve pretty much worked out a system that works for me (I will admit it does rely on being incredibly rigid in when I need to write and when I can watch).
Probably the biggest problem with daily posts is making sure that I have something to write. Most of my schedule during the anime seasons is made up of episode reviews so that by itself gives me up to fifteen posts a week. And rather than posting them all as I watch the shows, I assign the reviews particular days and times so that even when 5 or 6 shows come out on Sunday, those posts will go out over the next 3 – 4 days.
This also gives me a buffer if I have a particularly long day at work and don’t end up watching something (or I watch and just can’t write the review because I’m tired) because I don’t post a review of anything the same day I watch it. Sometimes I cut it close, but I do give myself some breathing room and build in that buffering space. It means I can’t be the first to get my review out, but at least I know I won’t have ten posts out over the weekend and then nothing for the next three days.
The other thing I try to do is always have about three weeks worth of Top 5’s and Features prepared. I might sub-in a different feature if something happens that week that I really want to write about, but I have general feature ideas planned, drafted and more or less ready to go so if I’m not feeling it one week, I’ve got a post organised. To put it another way, as of drafting this response I have about 25 scheduled posts (I also keep a physical notebook where I track which posts are currently scheduled on which days and at what time). Not all of those posts will ever go out and a lot of them are episodes I watched over the weekend or series reviews from the last season that I’m still thinking about, but that’s a lot of content mostly ready to go.
Before I started the top 5 feature, I actually made sure I had nearly six months worth of list ideas and I am constantly jotting notes about other lists I’d like to eventually make so that when it comes time to write a list I’ve got lots of ideas to choose from and I’m not stuck with a blank.
So, while I do try and write every day and I do try to keep my posts relevant to what is happening, I’m also realistic about my situation. Sometimes I am not going to come home from work with enough energy to write anything of quality (or anything at all some days). Other days go better and I find once I start writing one post, I just want to write so I usually draft in batches of 3 – 5 posts in a row.
I think if I had to write a post today to go out in an hour, the stress of that would cripple me and I wouldn’t end up with a post or I wouldn’t be happy with the result. I like that today I can look at the posts already scheduled for tomorrow, give them a brief review and a touch up (rewrite if absolutely necessary) and go to sleep knowing that tomorrow content will come out on my blog as normal.
Anyone got any tips for keeping their schedule?
Thanks for reading.
Karandi James
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Thanks for posting your answer! I have been wondering how to stay on top of the blogging lately, and this helped give me some new direction. 🙂
I think everyone kind of has to find what works for them with their other commitments and pressures. I know I’m looking at the next few months with a little bit of concern given some of the real life stuff I know is going to go on.
Fortunately I’ve only got one thing that has to come out on schedule… And I don’t mind letting it slip a day now and again. (Well, two things at the moment but there’s only four eps left in the 2199 group watch project.)
My main problem is avoiding procrastination. I haven’t found a workable solution to that yet.
That’s why the schedule helps. Otherwise I’d put out too much content some days and then nothing inbetween as I procrastinated and put off finalising anything.
And here I thought I was impressive with scheduling. You’re on a whole different level! It was interesting to see how you go about planning though. Thanks for sharing.
I’m starting to think I might need to move from the notepads to a spreadsheet but I’m resisting that move because I really do plan better on paper.
I mean, maybe a spread sheet for ideas you’ve already done then? Easier to track repeats on a spread sheet then paper, but you’ll still keep the paper version lol
Probably more what I need, particularly for series reviews so I remember what I’ve already covered.