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Sunday, November 22, 2015

PERSONAL SPACE IT'S ALL ABOUT ME {making your blog work for you}



Image: Dustin Lee via unsplash.com

I’ve been blogging here since October 2012. It’s been more than three years, and I’m surprised at how fast time passes. When I took a look back through everything I’ve posted until now, I realised that I’ve spent a lot of time helping and promoting other authors. I love to help people. I think it’s one of the most rewarding actions we can take in this world that’s so full of negativity. Helping others makes the world a better place.

But … I’ve had a long think about it, and I’ve also realised that while it brings me great joy when I help other authors spread the word about their work, my blog is not the space I wish to do it in. Over the past few weeks I’ve had several close author friends have cover reveals and new releases, and it’s always exciting when something comes to life that you know someone has worked so hard on. A few of these I committed to posting here, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to get around to it. The guilt ate a hole in my stomach, and I promised myself I would stop agreeing to do something I don’t have enough time for. My life is a bit crazy. On a bad day I barely have time to reach my 400 word goal. So spending hours formatting blog posts that inevitably won’t help me gain anything other than the warm fuzzy feels is not very productive for me and my work.

I want my blog space to take a new direction, and I want it to be about me and my writing.

When I say it like that it makes me sound selfish, but in my own space I think I have the right to be. This is the place where it can be all about me.

The other aspect of blogging I’ve struggled with over the years is getting into a routine where I can do it regularly. I’ve found in the past that I haven’t had much to say, so my posts have been erratic and at times probably not what you as my readers want to read about. I’m hoping if I shift the focus to where the heart of my love and passion lies, I’ll be able to write more interesting and engaging posts, and to also do it more regularly. I’m hoping my posts will still be able to help others, but in a different way.


Have you found yourself in the same position as me? Have you gotten to the point where the content of your blog has overshadowed what you originally set out to do? If the answer is yes, then ask yourself the questions I asked myself:

  • What lies at the heart of my blog?
  • What is my blog about?
  • What am I passionate about?
  • What do I want to offer in my blog posts?
  • What is the direction I want my blog to take?
  • How frequently do I want to blog, and what can I do to make it happen?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bzh5BiOq-nLfQmVxZGF4NFU0am8/view?usp=sharing

Download my free worksheet to help you answer these questions.

I’m planning to make my blog space more personal, and give you the chance to see inside my head more than you would by reading my books. I hope to write posts about what’s going on in my writing life, what’s easy and what’s hard. Projects I’m working on, books I’m reading, helpful resources, and things that bring me happiness. I might even throw some advice in there every now and again. I’d love to know what you would like to hear from me, so please comment and we’ll get the conversation going.

Be awesome.
K x

4 comments:

  1. Kim, your post struck such a chord. This is exactly how I felt about blogging and there are so many good blogs out there which are so helpful writing wise it's hard to find something different to say.
    So prompted by my participation in NaNoWriMo I started blogging about my personal and writing life in short (almost) daily posts, like a journal. A peep into my life... it's a record for me to look back on as well as look at how far I've come.
    So good luck with your changes!

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    1. Thanks Louise. Amd what a great idea to use your blog as a journal :)

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  2. Thanks for this post. It's inspired me to rethink my blog and get back to why I started my Melissa Writes blog in the first place :)

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    1. I'm so glad I could help in some way. I often feel I get so caught up in everything that's going on, I forget to focus on myself and what's really important to me. Thanks for stopping by :)

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