Tuesday, January 6, 2009

How Do You Write A Blog Post?

Switch the kettle on.
Click New Post on the blogger dashboard.
Start drinking tea ... Read two new comments :) Feel on top of the world.

Type a sentence for a new post called 'The Life and Times of the Handsomest Cat in the World'.

Sneak a peek at the Blogs I follow. A blogger wonders if we need Religion! Good question! Can we ban religion? No, that would be most undemocratic! We need Law and order and our Democracy more than we need religion I think.

Wasn't religion created just to bring some order in our lives? To make us behave? But then some might say, we were created for religion not religion for us!
Manage to leave a much shorter comment than tempted to.

Back to the Handsomest Cat ...
Look for a picture to add to the (unwritten) Handsomest Cat post.
Sister's call. She's bought a laptop, the configuration is discussed in greatest details.
Remember the post on the Cat's antics ... Start typing again.

Take an absent minded peek at the Recently Updated Blogs, and stare in disbelief. But a click confirms that somebody does really think that World Peace is only for Miss World contestants, we ordinary mortals must have War.

Start typing again. It's a different post.
Gym friend calls. The call lasts only 30 seconds.

Not sure what a Nawab's kingdom is called! Disturb busy blogging friends ... Answer: A Dominion or a Presidency. Thanks!

Publish the post.

I wonder how everybody else writes their posts!
Do some bloggers sit down and and write in one go?
How long does it take to write a post? Do you end up writing posts that are too long or too short?
What kind of posts do you write most easily? Does it depend on how you are feeling at the time?

One look at the 104 unpublished drafts has made my New Year Resolution very easy : I resolve to lead a more disciplined life in the year 2009 :)

56 comments:

Saritha said...

I am a new blogger and when i got comment from you, i was on the top of the world.I called my hubby and told him that the blogger i admire,i follow,i love to read,wait for the new post has written a comment on my bolg for the 1st time.thanks u IHM

Anonymous said...

heheh... i guess we all sail in the same boat.. too many breaks while posting... good one... :) Happy New Year...

OG said...

104 unpublished drafts.... that is a lot... :)
the count on mine is a perfect zero....
LOL...
I need a topic to write upon and when I start writing, I do not do anything else unless I finish it...

Indian Home Maker said...

Varunavi The joy of a comment is the same for all..at least that's what I think! Blogging is about interaction :)

Rohini It is very frustrating and I wish one didn't have so many breaks, but there is no choice ... ! A homemaker's life :(

Ajit I need to maybe delete at least 30 of them as useless, and start finishing and posting the rest. There might be some duplicates also. Should clear these before doing anything else ... one I remember is about Hitler and books on Hitler ...

Anonymous said...

looool...Though phone calls don't disturb me,my toddler disturbs me..She don't like her mom sitting in front of screen for too long :)

I get distracted into other topics easily..When i stumble upon a thought,i read more on it and in the process,if any other news catches my attention,i start reading about it and research about it..It happens in a cyclic manner and after an hour i wonder what was i thinking in the beginning..

When Fida comes and sits in my lap,she don't let me type..She turns over the keyboard or ctaches hold of my hand nodding her head..Hmm..I know what she is thinking "Mamma,turn off this dumb thing and come play with me "..




mmmmm

Smitha said...

IHM, My posting schedule is quite similar - with the addition of my daughter trying to get me off the comp :) And 104 unfinished posts - huge - I just delete them off as anything I have not finished within a day - I am not likely to do so :( But I think I should keep them - just to know how many posts I started and had to give up :)

Indian Home Maker said...

Nimmy LOL @Fida demanding attention when ever you type, my kids still do the same! Now they love it if I am occupied so they can do whatever is otherwise not allowed :)

And this getting distracted while looking for information!!!! Happens all the time .. guess I am not alone!!

Indian Home Maker said...

Smitha Daughters are going to be bloggers very soon at the way they want momma's to get off the comps :)

You are more disciplined and organised than i am ! I plan to do this this year. There's no point in collecting half written posts, and I know some will never be published.
One of these is about languages... in response to two very nice ones I recently read :)

I also write very long posts first and then have to cut them maybe one fourth :)

Smitha said...

IHM, lol ! My daughter already tells us that she is 'working' on her 'laptop'! Guess they are getting 'trained' early :) Please do complete your post on languages - waiting to see your take :) Did I ever tell you that - if I have time on my hands - I leave your latest post - till the very end - save the best for last:) And if I am in a hurry - read yours first :)

Anonymous said...

104 unpublished drafts!!!!!!!!!!! i have no words..

i dont always do posts in one go...sometimes i do it in parts and then finish up at office or vice versa..still hvnt figured out wat gives better results-writing in one shot or in installments..topics depend on whats happening in my life, what im feeling, wats catching my attention.

Anonymous said...

I have so many unfinished posts ... and then I write something as a reaction to another blog or something that is of interest to me right now. One day I'll publish a book of unfinished articles entitled "Break ke Baad"

Indian Home Maker said...

Mandira being able to right in parts is a good idea!! We can even break a post into smaller posts if we wish then ...

Ritu LOl 'Break ke Baad' is a good idea!! I also write a lot of posts as reaction to some blog or some News... these come out the fastest, they are basically just rants.

Dr. Ally Critter said...

Hey on the handsomest cat front, I have a serious contender to the title here - and there is a post about him already.

Jira said...

He he..Every blogger can relate to this i think...My posting routine is kinda the same...By the time i read everyone else's blog and comment, i forget what i was about to write!

Indian Home Maker said...

@lankrita LOL :) This is unbelievable, just saw his photograph!! We need a tie breaker now! Now let me go read that post ... isn't it amazing blogging about the same thing on the same day!

Jira It's so good to know I am not the only one who goes through this!!
Reading other blog posts is always a temptation!

Jay said...

Haha. I blog because I am not good socially. The only other thing I do when not blogging is playing sports. TV and movies eat the dust when it comes to me.

I write at one go. But only after i have developed a mind for the topic over a few days. When I respond to news reports, it's mostly instant.

Indian Home Maker said...

Trailblazer Playing sports is good, specially if you spend plenty of time in front of the comp :)

I also write the fastest posts when it is in response to News reports or even other bloggers' posts. I guess this we all do fast because we are either very happy and excited or (more likely - lol ) seriously disgusted :))

OG said...

please do publish the one on Hitler...
would love to read that.....

Anonymous said...

104 drafts?! I have 3 drafts. I pen down my thoughts when I feel like and then choose not to publish it sometimes because I feel like time is just not right.
Well! I am a new blogger still on various discussion boards I have participated I can go on and on about some topics and other times just a line or quote or picture would do.

Arun.N.M. said...

I am usually not disturbed[unless by a call from the hospital] as I write in the wee hours of night.Fast posts are usally more focussed.An incident that disturbed me get posted that day itself. Do not get much time to read blogs though.

Spontaneous Mini said...

Last Year I spent a lot of time reading blogs and sometimes commenting. This year is dedicated to revelations. lets see how it goes.. took up resolutions today that tells somethings about me already.

vimmuuu said...

Too many questions?? LOL :D

Gunjan said...

Hmmm....I really dig such posts,about how one goes about doing things!You have 104 drafts?Hey we'd love it if you sort them out fast and publish them.I always try reading blogs by others only once I finish writing my post,so i can continue in the same mindset that i started with to write it.And i write it in one go,very rarely have I worked on a draft.Mostly i write about the day it was,i had decided this,it is going to be a personal blog,so my posts reflect my state of mind.


And while we are at it,a silly query needs to be answered please.
Do you guys write your post in the blogger itself first or write it in microsoft word?If you directly write in blogger how do you manage to get the capital letter at the beginning of each sentence because i usually forget while typing to use the "shift" key to write in capital.And if a use microsoftword then i have to redo all the italics and bold letters again in blogger.Tch..tch!


Gosh!No matter how hard I try I end up writing LONG posts,much like this comment,a post in itself!

Anonymous said...

I blog at one go! Its just painful to resize and edit the pics...thats why most of my posts are so far between. If it wasnt for the pics...I would blog more often :) (Actually all bahanas....if it wasnt the pics, I would come up with some other excuse ;)

Anonymous said...

i've read almost all the posts of urs that i missed in the last few weeks... :) can't believe i was so away from this world and i missed so many things! Thanks for the enlightening, tickling and interesting posts..

Sig said...

LOL - I get distracted so easily as well that I usually start in the morning and finish it sometime in the afternoon or evening when I remember to publish it :P

Plus I have the ability to waffle for ages so it takes a good hour (in one go) to write a post. My now amended new years resolution - write more often and shorter posts :P

Usha Pisharody said...

Nice post.. and interesting questions :)

Very you :) :)

I've written about this in one of my posts... what do you do? It's difficult for me to write something in one go, certainly. What makes matters worse is that most times, it works only if I've actually written something down on paper, and then transferred it here :) :)
For poetry, that is the only way it works. But the prose pieces, well, I am working on typing directly into blog posts.. but then again, as you mention, the drafts are getting to be a problem. Too many of them.. :)And most of them disconnected rambles.. Lol!

Blog renovation going on at Overdrive. That is why I am not able to visit as often as I would like to..:(

By the end of today, the infrastructure should be done. :)

Have a good day!

Reema said...

I had also discussed the whole point of religion in one of my posts.
http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/the-point-of-religion/
I’m not an atheist but I don’t feel the need to belong to any religion or be religious to have faith in God or to prove to God that I believe.

As for my blogging habit, I take 2-3 days to write a post as I do it in installments.

Maya said...

i am someone who is super lazy, and i never take more than 5 minutes of time, i dont even care for a spell check, i directly type continiously for some 3 minutes and hit publish. i seriously think to spend some time on research but its too boring.

Monika said...

ditto.... u know what i had almost published a post yesterday and then somehow held it back... it was...

too many drafts... too much confusion... too less posts :)

;-)

hitch writer said...

during office hours i google what information i need for my blog

than make a draft, copy it in my mobile and take it home.. at home i dont have internet then work on the blog at 6.30 am in the morning when wife and kid are asleep... get it ready copy it in the mobile and create a new post...

Thanks to blogging i have started gettting up early !!!!

Monika said...

I write at one go. Since I blog from office I usually do not have much time to mull over what I write. I never have any drafts.

Mama - Mia said...

oh! i rarely have drafts! if it goes in drafts it means it will never see light of the day!

and i write in one go! and mostly its about our life and personal stuff! so its quite easy! :D

actually even reviews etc i write are done in go! at work. i dont log on at home to write! i might log on for few mins to check mail on weekends! other than that nahi! :)

and i think religion should be kept as a personal faith and not a moot point to base our rational decisions on! if we manage that much, life will be much better! :)

cheers!

abha

aShyCarnalKid said...

How to write a blog post in 3 easy steps for me :
1. Be pervious to every damn thing in you and around you
2. Wait for that avalanche of thoughts . Or a whirlpool ,if you may .
3. Salvage whatever you can from that , make strings of words , make paragraphs out of those strings , go easy on the swearing :) , make sure it makes a little bit of sense , and voila , MY blog post is ready .

Masood said...

I make mental notes of what I want to post. And when at it, it's all at one go. Once posted, a couple of changes here and there (mostly typesetting and grammar) and the post is ready. Usually takes less than an hour (regardless of the size of the post).

@Kislay above: LOL :D

Anonymous said...

lol, 104 drafts. Now that's a bit too much. Btw, if you start just pressing the publish button on all those posts, we'll start completing them for you in comments. Don't you worry :)

Keep publishing and lets laugh on your insanity together...

my space said...

hmm ...lots of disturbances for me too...the fat sparrow on my window sill, the parrot family on the tree opposite my window, Irritating crows and pigeons cooing non stop! phone, maids,dhobi,baniya,medicine wallah, nariyal paani guy,watchman...the list is endless...despite all this have NO drafts!! I just write in one go,edit and jus put it up..Whew! Done.

Anonymous said...

104 drafts.... OMG...!

i am a new blogger..

i use the MS word to type my posts. i can't sit to write & then think.. i write only when i feel the like or get inspired (not like our bollywood music directors)... finish it in 1 go...then once finished i either draft or publish it directly...

Anonymous said...

104 drafts... OMG

i am a new blogger..

i use the MS word method.. first tpe whatever comes to ur mind then copy paste & publish...maybe with time you start to write then think...

Happy new year..!:-)

Balvinder Balli said...

That's a good post. Some food for thought. Yes different writers different style. In my case the style differs even from post to post. Some ideas are just put into the key board and posted right away. While some other posts i treat like works of art, making an outline sketch and then slowly filling up the details, some times editing it even after it has been read by friends because i noticed some flaw. But no unfinished drafts. One post at a time.

Anonymous said...

see what happened i tried to post 1 comment it got delayed & i thought it was cancelled so i wrote another 1.
the difference in the sentenses of both my comments show how fast my whole content changes, so if i take a break my post would be totally diff from what i started to write..

Indian Home Maker said...

@Ajit With pleasure, either today evening or tomorrow :)

@Meso I feel the same way, if I feel very strongly about something the post comes very fast, it's like responding to a post.
I also leave half done posts if I feel 'maybe later' :)

@Charakan I am the same, Feel strongly the post comes faster... writing at wee hours of the night is the best time, but I invariably end up chatting with fellow bloggers! .. generally discussing some post!

@Spontaneous Mini Both the a lot of fun, commenting, reading their views and the arguments ...and writing our own posts.

@Vimmuuu And not even one answered!

@Moon's Muse I plan to first post then peacefully read and comment, but it just remains a plan!
And your not-so-silly query - I generally type directly in the blogger - where it keeps saving on it's own. Word is much better for editing but I only use it if there is some problem with the blogger.
Posts from Word can be cut and paste with links and pictures and all, so actually it is very convenient.
I read on a blog that she asked readers what kind of posts they liked and everybody said, they prefer short posts to longer ones... So I edit out any repetitions and try and keep all posts reasonably short.

Anonymous said...

Quite Simply Brilliant Process, IHM. LOL... You have 104 unpublished Ideas, whooo... Well my though process is similar to yours,I sit down and start thinking of someone/ something else then, I'll get a call from my boss and I'll hide the blog window LOL ;) Don't tell her.

She's back again....Wait...

Phew...Gone...

Ok, Ya, how do you write your blog, me will write it down on the notepad...he he he. Also what ever is itched in my mind goes, on the txt files, I have lot of them.


You are really a great inspiration to my writing :)

Anonymous said...

I take several days to write one post! :) Well, most of them anyway. I have hundreds of drafts with me, most which will nto see the light of day! I tend to research 4-5 posts at a time and then just shut the pc because of brain freeze! Sure, plenty of interuptions as well! But then when the time comes to write a post I glance at some half-written post and realise that this needs the least work for it to be published! And then viola, out it goes!
Ofcourse at times if I feel something is a current subject I work on it solely, but invariably find some nuggets in my draft. I tend to take several hours to write something, but it can never happen at one go. That is why I have reduced my writing. When I first started to blog, my posts were more casual, more frequent, and I didn't spend too much time replying to comments. Now my blogging has evolved. :)

Indian Home Maker said...

@Homecooked And your blogs needs good pictures!! Initially I took pictures to add to the posts but now I hardly ever do that... I think writing is way more exciting than taking pictures :) By the way we have the same dinner set as yours :)


@Rohini Many, many thanks :)

@Silvara It takes me too many hours (with many interruptions) - like you, I start early morning and finish by afternoon! I have also resolved to write shorter posts!

Indian Home Maker said...

@usha Pisharody Yes I remember your post!

And I am not the only one with numerous drafts!!!
Writing poetry with pen is but natural I think, can't imagine lovely poetry being created on a key board :)
Hey, just noticed your blog is back in action, coming over right away ...

Indian Home Maker said...

Reema I read your post on religion ... I think this is something that is bothering a lot of us these days...
I find it difficult to finish a post if it is not finished in one go (despite interruptions) ... that's why so many unfinished drafts!

Maya I love the research part best :) That's why it's great to have sp many bloggers, it's amazing how many different things we write in how many different ways ... and make up this blogosphere :)

Indian Home Maker said...

@Monika Read that post and am laughing at the mere thought of it :) I am so glad you posted it!!

@Hitchwriter I have never typed anything except an SMS on the mobile!
We do crazy things for our dear blogs :) I also wake up earlier and sleep later and even eat lesser, and if the post is something I feel strongly about then no tea, no lunch !!

@Monika.Ansh Ideally it should be like that, write a post, publish it ... I have too many distractions!

@Mama mia My posts also generally disappear if they go in drafts that is how so many have collected! Agree about religion being a personal thing ... my next post is religion.

@Kislay LOL :) Nothing like being totally focused, I find it difficult because there's a lot action going on here :) Only my angry posts come like that!!!

@Masood I can never write that quickly :) It takes me a few hours always .. with plenty of mostly welcome interruptions.

@Rakesh LOL :) Okay I will find one that will make some insane sense ... :)
You said nothing about how you write your post?

Anonymous said...

He he, read my last post D-Rona to find out how write my posts. I kinda get visions :)

Indian Home Maker said...

@My Space LOL Lovely disturbances, the parrots, birds and pigeons :) This discipline is what I seek in the New Year !!

@Oorja I am the same! LOL :) I end up writing very different comments if this happens to me!

@Mr Balvinder Singh I guess it;s the same hee, except the drafts saved by the blogger of all those, maybe-not-now or maybe-not-a good-idea posts :)

@Chirag LOL :) Won't remain 104 for long now I hope! And I won't tell your boss :))
You noticed your blog was one of the reasons for the delay?

Indian Home Maker said...

@ Nita I always wondered how much time you take to write such well researched and detailed posts!!
You may take days, but you still write very fast seeing how much you post! And still find time to change the header and add pictures :) Hats off!
I must read some of your older, more casual posts ...

Aneela Z said...

I am not sure how to do the 'direct' link as part of a comment, but have linked your post here:
http://golkamra.blogspot.com/2009/01/when-my-comments-become-posts.html

Anonymous said...

well...I write posts at one go...have no drafts...takes me about 15 mins to write one.

Mostly, I have a thought and just expand on it! don't even plan in advance what I am going to write!

Indian Home Maker said...

@Aneela Z Read that really sweet post :) I hope you were able to read the post about baby Record Books?

@Chandni I know you do!! I read long ago in one of your posts and I was so amazed! I can never write a post so fast!

BrownPhantom said...

Hi,
You are a VORACIOUS writer.
I write most of my posts with one deliberate break of 5-10 minutes; mostly it's a 3 hour task for me from start writing to adding links at correct places, formatting and then publishing. Unlike you, no unfinished posts for me. Ususally I post once in 10 days and would have thought about what I would write whenever I sit to write. But some of my better posts have come spontaneously .

Radhika Ganesan said...

I write a post only when i can't resist myself from writing it...this way i put all the thoughts immediately in a word doc. and then whenever i get time the next time i quickly edit it and post it ! 104 drafts is too much...i have not got 104 topics to write on yet !!!!!!