Creating a writing schedule and sticking to it may be challenging. Especially when you work a 9-5pm demanding job and have other tasks on-hand.
When I started this blog in January 2018 luckily I already had experience in project & task management so creating a writing schedule was not difficult. I knew that once I define it the only blockers that would stop me from getting that blog post published were natural unexpected occurrence such as moving houses, extensive hours at work for more complex projects or similar.
I am conscious and appreciate it that for many starting bloggers (if you’re thinking whether it’s still the right time to start a blog – it is – there’s a niche for everyone and every content) this may not be that easy. Many times my colleagues or people I meet would ask me if I have a specific writing schedule and how do I stick to it. So to help to answer these questions and also help anyone who would like to start their blogging journey, here’s a list of my personal tips.
This is the writing schedule I created, it works for me in the sense that I never feel overwhelmed yet I am constantly and successfully driven to a goal that is a post-publish.
Tip number 1
At the beginning strive to write at least 1 post a week. I have committed to publishing at least (mind it says “at least” because there’s always room for more :)) one blog post a week. I committed to publishing a post, mainly from travel area, that would bring value, be useful, consist of extensive information, quality copy based on my own experience, reviews, links, directions and also my own edited photos. Yes, it was important for me that all photos were formatted, edited and in general consistent with my own style and sense of aesthetic.
Tip number 2
If you’re not already doing so, create a board for ideas. I personally use Trello. I have a board called “BLOG” that consists of various lists, one of them is a list called “Ideas”. To this list every time I think of something I would make sure to either launch the App on my phone or on desktop browser version and add this idea to the list.
Tip number 3
Create a schedule that would help you spend no more than 30 min up to 1 hour every day on the blog. Add it to your Calendar. I personally find that writing at around 8pm would work best for me.
- Monday
- Choose your writing topic of the week from the list of ideas
- Create a Draft Title
- Create a Draft Introduction
- Tuesday
- Create Draft Sections
- Gather necessary information like Names, Addresses, Links, Social media links, Map links, Mentions etc.
- Wednesday
- Make a vomit draft – based on the draft sections just start sharing your thoughts on each topic, share a story, speak from your experience and be authentic, write genuine reviews.
- Thursday
- Tweak and finalize each section
- Start selecting photos you wish to use for your post. What I do is a create a dedicated folder in my iPhone and drop images there
- Friday
- Proofread each section with a fresh pair of eye. I would also sometimes just share the test URL with a trusted friend for their feedback. There’s nothing better like a person that could give you a genuine review, spot errors etc.
- Saturday
- Edit photos. I use an app called Snapseed. I make sure my photos are neat and I also apply my favourite filter
- Upload photos to your blog post
- Sunday
- Final check on the post from preview link. Test the post under various resolution screens
- Selecting final post settings like categories, tags, sections, formats etc.
- Scheduling the post for Monday morning release (YAY!)
- Monday
- Your post is published now. You can spread the love on social media, ping places, brands you mentioned and give them a shout out
- You start your next week’s chapter 😉
- Choose your writing topic of the week from the list of ideas
- Create a Draft Title
- Create a Draft Introduction
aaaaand again and again and again 🙂
Starting a blog should always be about your passion and what value and knowledge you want to share and give to others in this virtual-sphere. The space is unlimited, let’s leave our trace in the right way. And by all means have a schedule BUT please have fun! This is supposed to be a creative outlet, not a chore 🙂
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