BlogMunch

8 sure ways to get a blogger’s block

A couple of days ago, I decided to narrow my range of topics to focus more on the different aspects of writing and blogging. A couple of days later, I got blogger’s block. Here’s what I think contribute to my blogger’s block.

1. Not doing enough brainstorming or outlining
   I would just think up fantastic topics headings like “10 weight loss program I have tried” or “5 Adsense strategies that work” and started immediately to write. After a few sentences, the pace slowed, the ideas starts drying up and eventually stopped. A good brainstorm session to generate ideas, subheadings and outline could help to prevent that. The basic premises for brainstorming is jot down all ideas, no matter how unusual or ridiculous it is. Use these ideas to come out with the outline and write a summary to describe the whole topic.
2. Setting a target and expecting to reach it immediately
   I think this is happening to me now. After I set the focus for this blog, I set up google alerts and search for other writing blogs for inspiration. This leads to information overload and starts to overwhelm. I should have allowed myself to learn at my own pace. If I force the issue too much, I might gradually lose interest to write. I say, just keep writing and things will fall in place eventually.
3. Reading other exceptional blog post and think you can/should write like that
   Nobody expects me to write like anyone, so I shouldn’t expect that of myself too. I have to remember that other bloggers took plenty of time to hone their craft and become what they are now. I just need to be original in your views and clear in your writing.
4. Over-thinking my post of the day
   I do this all the time. I think, I write, I think again and I think again. See how I only write 1/4 of the time. Self doubt and no confidence in my writing contributes to this. Most of the time I think what I am writing is a cliche or it has been done many times before. Everything that can be written has already been written, it’s just how you present the ideas to make it different.
5. Spending too much time reading/researching
   Researching about the topic is good. It helps to give the topic more meat and relevance. It builds up my knowledge and gives me more insight about what you are writing. But eventually, I still need to put all those down on paper/screen.
6. Spending too much time on your blog template and other traffic driving activities
   Playing with the template is fun as I am learning new things that help in the visual department of my blog. I just need to set a time limit for these activities each day.
7. Worrying too much of what others might think
   I need to relax and enjoy myself while writing. There will always be comments (good/bad), and I have to take it in my stride. Although I have to think of my target reader, I cannot please everyone.

Now, I ask you. Have you had your blogger’s block? What have you done to overcome it? Send me a comment and tell me about it. Now, I got to go and just write.

The Snake, the Balance and the number 11

The snake refers to the Year of the Snake (Chinese Astrology)
The Balance refers to the Zodiac sign Libra (Astrology)
The number 11 refers to the Master number 11 (Numerology)

The year of the Snake describe a person born with the year (1965, 1977, 1989 etc.)
Libra describe a person born between (September24 - October 23)
Numerology requires the full birth date (dd/mm/yyyy)

As you might have guess I am writing a review of myself based on Astrology and Numerology “pseudoscience”. My birthdate is 22/10/1977. I would like to give credit to the above sites for coming up with these interesting informations.

What does my Snake say about me

“People born in the Year of the Snake are deep. They say little and possess great wisdom. They never have to worry about money; they are financially fortunate. Snake people are often quite vain, selfish, and a bit stingy. Yet they have tremendous sympathy for others and try to help those less fortunate. Snake people tend to overdo, since they have doubts about other people’s judgment and prefer to rely on themselves. They are determined in whatever they do and hate to fail. Although calm on the surface, they are intense and passionate. Snake people are usually good-looking and sometimes have marital problems because they are fickle. They are most compatible with the Ox and Rooster.”

What does my Balance say about me

“Librans are sensitive to the needs of others and have the gift, sometimes to an almost psychic extent, of understanding the emotional needs of their companions and meeting them with their own innate optimism - they are the kind of people of whom it is said, “They always make you feel better for having been with them.” They are very social human beings. They loathe cruelty, viciousness and vulgarity and detest conflict between people, so they do their best to cooperate
and compromise with everyone around them, and their ideal for their own circle and for society as a whole is unity.”

“The negative Libran character may show frivolity, flirtatiousness and shallowness. It can be changeable and indecisive, impatient of routine, colorlessly conventional and timid, easygoing to the point of inertia, seldom angry when circumstances demand a show of annoyance at least; and yet Librans can shock everyone around them with sudden storms of rage. Their love of pleasure may lead them into extravagance; Libran men can degenerate into reckless gamblers, and Libran women extravagant, jealous and careless about money sometimes squander their wealth and talents in their overenthusiasm for causes which they espouse. Both sexes can become great gossipers.A
characteristic of the type is an insatiable curiosity that tempts them to enquire into every social scandal in their circle.”

What does my Eleven say about me

All of Eleven’s trait comes from Life path two, only magnified in both positive and negative aspects.

“The Life Path 2 suggests that you entered this plane with a spiritual quality in your makeup allowing you to be one of the peacemakers in society. Your strengths come from an ability to listen and absorb. You are a fixer, a mediator, and a very diplomatic type of person using persuasive skills rather than forcefulness to make your way in the world. When you embrace and exhibit the strenghth of your spiritual side, you are intuitive, avant-garde, idealistic, and visionary. These extremes make you interesting with much to offer society. You have the potential to be a deep-thinker, and no doubt interested in understanding many of life’s mysteries and more intriguing facets.”

“On the negative side of the 2, nervous energy is a trait often observed in the 2. Because of this, you may be seen as an extremist who is sometimes the zealot in expressing likes and dislikes. Nervous tension can bring the normally easygoing 2 into a state of emotional outrage, which to those around you, may seem so out of character. Indeed, the 2 can sometimes become oversensitive. In some instances, the strength of the 2 can also become its weakness. You may find it hard to decide what to do at times. Twos often struggle against indecisiveness. Making decisions and getting your life in gear, so to speak, may be a challenge. There is a tendency for the many 2s to harbor feelings of uneasiness, and dissatisfaction with accomplishments and personal progress in life. The biggest obstacle and difficulty you may face is that of passivity and a state of apathy and lethargy. The negative 2 can be very pessimistic. When this sets in to any degree, you are able to accomplishes very little. If living on the negative side of the 2, you may lack common sense, and you are quite often unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality.”

Suprisingly, all three pseudoscience say very similar things about me. On the positive side, being empathetic and sensitive to others feelings. Deep-thinker and a preference to things of beauty. On the negative side, indecisive and prone to sudden rage.

As much as I can tell, I have all these traits within me. I think there might be some truth in these pseudosciences. Do you?

Ask a question to get an answer

So for the second task from Rediscover Your Blogging Groove project. I have to answer a question from my readers or ask a question yourself.

As you can see from my blog, I am just starting out and had not have much visitors.
There is only one comment from Natalie W (Thanks again, natalie) who ask about my template to which I think I have answered adequately.

So I ask myself this question:

What is my niche for this blog?

This is actually a question I need to ask myself even before I start this blog. But as my first blog, I treat all this as a learning process and it better late than never. To tell the truth, I really have no idea what niche I want to be in. At the start of this blog I will try to use freeware, read books, listen to music, read website and blogs that interested me and write about them. But as I read back on my archive, I found that as I jump from topic to topic, even my own attention starts to waver. Now I understand, unless you write fascinating and memorable post day after day, you would need a niche to appeal to readers of the same inclinations.

Reflecting on these issues leads me to my main motive for blogging in the first place. I am always interested in writing and just need a platform to write without too much pressure.

So to answer my own question, “What is my niche for this blog?”

I would say writing about the writing process, the tools of the trade of writing and the motivations for writing. Of course, day to day, if I find anything interesting to write about, I will still write about them. This year long experiment will be a interesting journey and I hope to continue for as long as I can.

Now, that’s a stimulating task. Thanks, Darren.

Blogger posting woes

I experienced my first heart pain when writing the post about Singapore. I am copying and pasting some links when I accidentally paste over half of my post.

Normally, this would not be a problem as I could cancel this post and revert to the previous saved post but good old Blogger Autosave feature save the draft before I have a chance to revert back.

Half the draft is gone and I have got to rewrite them. It is an extremely uncomfortable feeling, I almost don’t want to rewrite it. I feel most of the first time inspiration and personal touch is gone. Where is the UNDO function when one needs it.

Lesson learn:

1. write in a notepad (like notepad++), then transfer to Blogger; or
2. use a desktop blogging editor like, Wbloggar, Zoundry, Qumana, or Blogjet.

Anyone had used them before? I would be interested to hear your views on your blogging editor.

I digg my own post yesterday

Before I press the button to digg this post, I hesitated for a moment. Not sure why, but I have the preconception that digging ones own post is wrong.

I dugg it anyway.

My rationale is that sending to digg is like sending to a newspaper or magazine in real life. If your post is crap, you won’t get on the front page and that’s fine with me. That means I still need to improve on my writing and write more interesting posts. Not sending would mean not even giving yourself a chance to let others read your stuff. Of course, I would not digg all my post, just those that I think other readers will be interested in.

These two posts might give a better perspective why it is okay to digg your own post.

http://www.copyblogger.com/is-it-ok-to-write-for-digg/

http://stupac2.blogspot.com/2006/08/digg-taboo-why-cant-i-digg-my-own-blog.html