How? Part Two- blogging

(When I said I would write about my blogging process, I did because it's very different from my fiction process. But, since then, I've wondered about the wisdom in this. Please don't think I'm giving advice or trying to present myself as a professional, or even decent, blogger. You can find much better advice in other places, I'm sure.)

Long before I knew what a blog was, I would often have essays rolling around inside my head. I wrote a couple down (my favorite was about my irritable uterus. If I can find it, someday I'll post it.) I'd send them as e-mails to my family, because I had no other way to share them. Then, my sister introduced me to blogging.  Now, I can share my silly insights with anyone who cares to click over.

I don't plan my posts ahead of time. This is something I've thought of doing, but I'm not much of a planner.  I LOVE making lists, but rarely follow through with them.  (How's my schedule going? you may ask. Let's stay on the subject at hand, k?)  I will write about whatever is on my mind that day.  Did my kids do something funny? Get a great gift in the mail? (As if.)  Did I receive a fabulous insight into the meaning of life? This is what I write.  Usually, just the process of writing gets things going. I'll often put off my posts because I don't know what to write, but as soon as I start, ideas flow.  Many times, I'll start a post with one idea, only to have to make a sharp right turn and end in a completely different way.  This is the magic of writing.

Some days, there's nothing. My kids are just annoying, I only get bills in the mail and the meaning of life seems to be getting laundry done. That's when I go looking. I love the website Brownielocks.com, which lists all the holidays for the month, week and day. I can often find something there to write about. Like tomorrow- it's Viagra Day- I mean, who couldn't think of something to write about that?  The news can help, or facebook.  If all else fails, post a picture from high school. Always good for a laugh.

I don't edit a ton with my blog, but I do read each post over and over. (My husband finds this weird.)  It helps me find mistakes, inconsistencies and typos.  I try to leave it for a while, then come back and read again before I publish.

And then, I read. I read books, but I also read a lot of blogs. I don't read them to get ideas for posts.  For me, reading good writing puts my mind in writing mode. It gets my thoughts into that rhythm of words, the cadence of writing.

 And, writing begets writing. The more I do it, the more I can. But, if I go a day, or two, without posting, I don't beat myself up. Hopefully, my readers will forgive me and keep coming back for more.