This is one of a series of posts answering some questions about a life of blogging that started (I believe) via Tom Woodward, (maybe via this blogger) but that I first saw via Alan L, Sarah H and Martin W through a renewed push to return back to blogging spaces and away from corporate social media platforms. I am breaking down the series of questions into different blog posts.
How do you write your posts?
Quickly. In a mad rush of fingers flying on the keyboard. Mostly.
Let me back up. I am a quick-burst writer — honed from my days of writing two articles per day when I was a newspaper journalist — and ideas about teaching, art, music, poetry and other writing often come fast and furious to my head, and I need to dislodge them. Heck, I’ve had keys on my keyboard snap from a bit too much oomph.
This is how I write when I blog in the mornings. Fast.
Sometimes I hit “post” right away at my blog. I don’t often have a plan for writing here at this blog space with any long range vision — other than, keep on writing. Instead, I see it as a place to get things down, think things through a bit, wonder out loud, try something to see if it will work, share, connect, make, remix.
At times, I might draft something but then hold off on posting. It might need further thinking. Or more time to learn more about something. Or I might just get lazy and never hit publish (I see a few drafts in my bin now that have been there for quite some time, waiting patiently — a few book reviews, for example). If I am working on a series of thematic posts, I might write a bunch in a row, and then post them one by one, over a stretch of time.
That’s what I am doing right now, in fact, with these very words, in this particular post. I am not going to publish yet. After I am done here, I will save these words for another day so that the other post I wrote can go first. But that waiting around is pretty rare for me. (I am back, a day later, doing some cleaning up of what I wrote when I wrote that).
I write. I post. I move on.
Peace (in bunny hops),
Kevin
Write a little or a lot,
Epistle or a jot,
Record it when it’s hot.
Writing hits the spot.
Thank you for the inspiration and the sharing.
Algot
Thank you, my friend, for coming here to my new home and leaving me a comment poem (hey, that rhymed!)
Kevin
My articles are inspired by what’s going on in the world and the year-round calendar of events that affect youth tutor/mentor programs. Prior to 2015 that cycle included events I organized, such as May and November Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conferences. Some of the articles have been inspired by you, Terry and others in the #clmooc community.
I usually write a draft, then save it, for a few hours, before I publish, just to see if I have anything more to add.
One thing I’ve learned over the past 30 years is that I’m a poor proof-reader. In reviewing past articles I find too many typos, which probably don’t reflect well on my credibility. That’s the price I’ve paid for having too little help.
One thing I’ve noticed on your new layout, here, and your other blog, is that it no longer has a sidebar with tags for past articles and links to other bloggers. I valued being included on that list.
Keep writing and sharing. I’ll keep looking.
I noticed that, too. I might play around with new themes, now that I am at a new home.
Kevin
Daniel, I added the links to friends’ blogs to the homepage. Thanks for pointing that out.
Kevin