Structured Musage

Happy Word Wednesday to everyone!

I'm still working on jump-starting my errant muses' juju by writing in a style I wouldn't normally choose. Thus far my efforts have resulted in a lot of overthinking and a little bit of poetry, a great start since I've not written anything of the overtly poetic nature in a few years. I'm usurping quite the dry spell with this exercise whether the muses like it or not! The biggest hindrance to my writing is organization – or lack thereof – so I've turned my focus to structure and schedule. Believe it or not, that inspires the flow of words.

Today's email from Pro-blogger is entirely relevant, then: 37 Ways to Make Blogging Easier by guest blogger David Turnbull.

1. Plan out content with pen and paper.
2. Dedicate time each week to think of ideas.
3. Make it easy to record ideas.
4. Build a life of unique experiences.
5. Use WriteRoom for typing.
6. Set limits on the time allowed for writing.
7. Always have a large backlog of content.
8. Follow a lower frequency of posts.
9. Capture interesting tid bits you find with Evernote.
10. Be passionate.
11. Write about a broader niche.
12. Take extended breaks.
13. Don’t write till you drop – stop writing when you’re on a roll.
14. Follow clear structures in your content (headings, sub-headings, bullet points etc).
15. Pick a predominant medium.
16. Ask visitors what they want.
17. Make every piece of content count.
18. Never stop reading and learning.
19. Set higher standards for yourself as motivation.
20. Forget word count – say more with less.
21. Identify the time when brainstorming for you is most effective and stick with that.
22. The moment it’s not fun: STOP! (and come back to it later)
23. Experiment with different mediums.
24. Clear your head with exercise, good food and a glass of water.
25. Write down EVERY idea, no matter how silly it may seem.
26. Clear off other items from your to-do list.
27. Ask visitors to help with research – have them send in quotes etc.
28. Believe in what you’re saying.
29. Be both topical and non-topical.
30. Don’t overthink it – your content is not set in stone.
31. Think in lists.
32. Always be creating content (if only in your mind).
33. Trust that what you have to say is important.
34. Plug your niche(s) into the Adwords keyword tool.
35. Monitor what related blogs are saying.
36. Add variety to your workflow.
37. Be ruthless. If you’re not feeling an article, delete it.

I use quite a few practices on the list already, but I tend to immerse until I run dry. I'm focusing on number 6 and 12 today. My family will appreciate hearing that.

On that note, I'm off for my morning break. Have a good Wednesday everyone!




This post brought to you by the 100 Words (check out the word count on the first paragraph - oh yeah, baby!) and the word of the day: usurp.