It should be quite obvious that list is poking quite a bit of fun at myself on some of my lazier days. Still, I’m fairly certain that most of you will find an excuse on here that you can relate to. For me, I think I need to remember that mostly these are excuses and I need to just get on and write something sometimes. Okay, number 4 isn’t an excuse, it is actually a reason.
Please Note – No spoilers this week.
Honourable mentions go to my computer died and kidnapped by space aliens. Though I should probably mention the occasional need to sleep.
Number 5: I’m Tired.
I mentioned this when I did my anniversary posts but writing tired tends to lead some very poorly written, poorly edited posts that seldom say anything useful (assuming you can figure out what I’m trying to say). However, I use being tired as an excuse not to write far too often because it is a convenient excuse. I can pat myself on the back for taking a break and resting for once and taking care of myself. While this might be number 5 on the list it is probably the excuse I use most often.
Number 4: I’m Working
No I don’t play video games for a living, it was just the best picture I could find of Serena being productive. Anyway, this one isn’t actually so much an excuse as a reason. Tragically the blog is still a hobby and not a job so the actual job has to come first. Most weeks this isn’t a problem as I can schedule my time pretty well but every now and then things go a bit crazy at work and I end up there until I’m falling asleep at my desk and I’m definitely not writing a blog post when getting home from that.
Number 3: I Need To Watch More Anime Before I Can Write
This is fairly legitimate in that I can’t write an episode review until I’ve watched the episode, however when I start using the excuse for features, top 5’s or series reviews I need to reconsider given I’ve watched more than enough anime to fill a million posts if I stop procrastinating and just start writing. I have determined though that I do need to watch a series fairly recently to review it properly so even if I’ve watched something before I tend to do a binge watch again before writing a review just to refresh my memory (and waste some time).
Number 2: Everything I Write Is Going To Suck Anyway
This one can actually be pretty crippling. You know when you are reading through posts and just starting at the bottom and pressing the backspace and letting it take out the whole lot. You hate it so much that you don’t even want to highlight the lot and delete in one go, you want to see it destroyed letter by letter. Getting into this head space really hurts and it can take me a couple of days to bounce back sometimes though it isn’t just blog related. I find myself hesitating to say anything or make any kind of decision, convinced it will just be wrong anyway. This is where having a strict schedule helps. When you know you ‘have’ to have something done by a certain time. It means you can give yourself a day or two to try to pull yourself together and then you just have to bite the bullet and hit publish on whatever you have done. Usually it doesn’t suck as bad as you think.
Number 1: Someone Already Wrote About That And They Did It Better Than I Will
Sometimes I wonder when I write a post on a topic I know has already been covered to death whether I’m actually adding anything at all of meaning to the discussion. I’ve kind of learned to put that thought to the side because it’s the internet. There are videos out there of cats riding vacuum cleaners. The odds of my ever coming out with a totally original idea that no one has ever expressed before are pretty low. Still, sometimes I think about what my post could do that might at least feel a bit fresh. And again, this can be incredibly crippling if you worry about it for too long.
So those are my top 5 excuses for not writing a blog post. What are yours?
Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James
I’m just now committing myself to blogging weekly. I’ve been bad for the past few years, updating maybe 2 or 3 times a year, but I’ve picked a series (Centaur no Nayami) and I’m being diligent in writing it once a week.
I wish you good luck in keeping your committment. Though, sometimes it is good to have some posts scheduled for those days/weeks where writing is just not going to happen.
Yeah it sucks…. I hope to maybe make deadlines for myself in the future. I’m not the biggest fan of the concept, but it just might be a necessary evil
I really relate to all of these.
Another issue I often have is option paralysis. I find that when I do have free time, I usually just sit there and try to decide whether I want to work on a post, or edit music, or there’s that stack of games I need to play, and what about that movie I wanted to watch, and then it gets really late and I end up just falling asleep. It’s definitely not the best feeling to have 10 things on my to do list and end up doing none haha
I can relate to that. I want to watch anime, but I want to catch up on my reading list, movie watching list, or play that game I’ve been itching to finish, and sometimes I just end up drifting between things without accomplishing anything.
I usually start off my posts with an excuse. XD
I’m not asked to be forgiven but it gives a slight insight that life is usually hectic and spontaneous for me…
Plus I REALLY love sleeping…
Being tired is definitely a legit reason. Especially when you have to take public transportation and walk every day to get to your job
My reasons are the same yours. Number 1 is definitely relatable.
5 Reasons for me not coming up with a new blog post:
1. Procrastination
2.
3.
4.
5.
I can completely relate to every single one of these excuses, being tired, working and needing to watch things being my three biggest issues when it comes to writing.
I’ve recently found myself having very little time to watch Anime at all, making writing quite the challenge and I’ve been so exhausted after work at times in the past, that I’ve held off writing for 2 to 3 days.
Hopefully you find time for writing soon.
I sure hope so!
Great post and your reasons are completely understandable – well maybe not the aliens one.
I think I empathize most with #5. It’s fine when I’m on break but once classes start, I find it hard to muster up the energy to do anything even remotely creative.
I relate most to numbers one and two. Most of which is because writing has always been my greatest weakness. I think that’s part of the reason I started a blog. To have a fun way to finally overcome it. My goal is to one day write a post were I don’t feel the need to fix it after I already put it up. 😛
Hahha so many valid points. Love it!!
I hate it when that brilliant “top 5” list in my head that came to me at night or while brushing my teeth or whatever suddenly is reduced to 2 when I’m at my computer and I cannot think of any more.
You need to keep notebooks and write down ideas for lists as they occur. When you have twenty or so possibilities that you have to cut down to five it makes writing the list easier.
This was a great post to read, and I love the matching Sailor Moon pictures! I think to me my biggest hurdle is the third one for me and getting my thoughts down after watching something. I can be quite picky sometimes or quite passionate (more upset than happy) and try to figure out how to make sense of my thoughts. Though being tired and sleeping while on the keyboard can be the biggest hurdle in deleting pages of gibberish.
I’ve also occasionally been afraid to post because I’m worried about the reaction. I can definitely relate to 1 and 2.
i dont think ive ever run into RL problems to stop me from writing something. when it comes to non-episode posts, though, i always get caught in the downward spiral of writing something and deciding it’s not good enough.
It is hard sometimes to just post it even though you still want to rewrite or rethink something.
Ugh, the relatable-ness in this post is so high to hurt. Mine are pretty much the same, with names changed:
1. Reality is a bitch or Steins;Gate’s choice;
2. I’m fainting;
3. I’m in zetsubou;
4. I’m simply being a lazy bum.
5. I suck at reviewing and senpais are already doing a far better job.
Though, my main reason is pretty much a mix of all of them, luckily the despair one doesn’t happen as often as the other four.
Never have I seen such a relatable post about blogging! Usually the main reason I don’t post is because of university, which, really, is Reason #5 on your list. Not to mention I have a part-time job as well, so Reason #4 also applies to me. Reason #3 is definitely the most common for me, though, adding the other two reasons together. Like Raistlin, I also admire how you can publish so many posts. Keep up the good work! ^-^
It is really hard to find time for anything when you are at uni and trying to work and occasionally have a social life. I don’t think I would have even attempted to start a blog back in my uni days.
a very useful post, my biggest issue when it comes to my own writing is procrastinating over what I want to write and how
Procrastination is a killer sometimes.
Haha, this was a really fun post. And so true as well. My number 1 reason for not writing posts is ofcourse being kidnapped by aliens. What’s that? You say that’s not true…erm…I guess not 😊 For me it’s definitely reasons 4 and 5. With reason 4 usually resulting in reason 5. I have a very busy job, especially at the moment, so I am pretty tired when I get home. As much as I enjoy blogging, I just don’t have the energy or will to post everyday. I have a very irregular posting schedule. One week I might publish 3 or 5 posts, while in another week none whatsoever. That’s why I have really great respect for you. Without fail you post every day, that really is absolutely amazing. 😊 So, my hats off for you. Now let’s hope the aliens don’t get to you 😂😂
At least if I do get kidnapped by aliens I will have something new to write a post about. And if the aliens watch anime I am going to get an interview.