Well, hello there!
It’s currently four-thirty in the afternoon, and I’m feeling exhausted. And, boy, do I mean exhausted. I’m having one of those weird days when even coffee can’t seem to help me. It’s strange. I feel the jitteriness of having caffeine in my system, but every time I close my eyes, I have to fight for them to reopen.
I should probably get some sleep, but I’ve got loads to do today, and I know how sluggish I’ll be if I decide to try and take a nap. I know naps are supposed to energize you, but they just make me more tired. Anyone else feel that way?
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. I’m not here to bore you with my tiredness. I’m here to talk about blogging. More specifically, my blogging.
The truth is, I love reading posts like this, and I’ve always wanted to write one of my own. Maybe I’m just nosey, but I love hearing about the way that other people do things. Day in the life posts and morning routines are some of my favorite things.
So, today I’m sharing a step-by-step process of how I blog! Everybody out there has their own approach to blogging, and it’s always kind of interesting to see how differently we tackle the same thing.
Step #1: Get an idea
I almost want to write “well, duh” after step one because it seems sort of obvious. However, I will say that I have a very specific approach to coming up with blog post ideas. Unless an idea randomly pops in my head (which does happen on occasion), I like to designate times when I sit down and brainstorm as many posts as I can. I find that having an idea ready in advance makes things about a million times easier for me when I actually go to write.
Every idea I come up with immediately gets jotted down in my planner. Since I keep up with a regular posting schedule, I try to assign the ideas to specific dates. Ideally, the posts would stay with their exact dates. But things come up (a.k.a. the weather turns to garbage on the day you’re planning to shoot a bunch of OOTD posts), and I’m always changing things around.
Step #2: Shoot photos
I would say a good 90% of the time, I have my photos done before I write a post. I like having the photos done because as soon as I finish writing a post, I can add the photos and get it scheduled. My drafts are cluttered enough as it is, so I don’t need photo-less posts sitting in there as well.
Step #3: Edit photos
After I’ve shot my photos, I do a little bit of editing. I use BeFunky because a). it’s super user-friendly and b). it’s free. I wrote a post about how I edit my photos a while ago, if you want to check it out. I mainly just focus on adjusting the brightness and color. Brightness is probably the biggest thing I worry about because shadows can be quite the nuisance for me.
Step #4: Write the post
I feel like the fact that writing the actual post doesn’t come in till step four goes to show just how much more there is to blogging than writing. (So, for all those people out there who don’t think blogging is a lot of work, take note!)
Anyway, once I’ve got all the other stuff gathered, it comes time for me to get writing! The length of time I spend working on a post really depends on the topic. There are some posts that are easy to write, and others that require more energy and thought. It also depends on my mental state. If I’m feeling tired or worn down (like right now), then it might take even longer.
Step #5: Leave and then reread
Before I put the finishing touches on a post, I like to take some time away from it before I proofread. I’ve found that distancing myself from a post and then coming back to it makes me more likely to catch grammatical errors before publishing, which, as I’m sure all of us know, can be a total nightmare.
And that’s how I blog! This might have seemed like a boring post if you’re not interested in this type of thing, but I’m really curious to hear about your process. Do you shoot photos or write posts first? Do you think of ideas on the spot or do you plan them out? How many times do you reread a post before hitting publish? SO. Many. Questions.
Thank you for reading! 🙂
Is there a method to how you blog?
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Oh my gosh I thought I was the only one that left a blog post after fully writing. I always give myself some time after and find sooo many (probably too many) grammatical errors and things, sometimes I change whole paragraphs if I’m not happy with it! Loved this ❤
https://scatteredstar.wordpress.com/
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I find so many issues with posts after I’ve written them too! I’m usually able to catch the mistakes, but sometimes not so much haha! And thank you 🙂
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We all do this.
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Leaving a blog post after finishing for a day or so and then coming back to reread it, is one of my favourite tips ever! I rarely ever schedule anything right after I finish writing it because I KNOW I’m going to find something I want to change in a few days! xx
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I feel the same way! There always seems to be a pesky little grammar error or something that I find when I go back and read through the post a day later!
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Mine is pretty similar! I just need to plan better, hahah.
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Haha planning definitely makes things easier, thought sometimes it’s fun to be more spontaneous and write whatever’s on your mind!
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Great post! I like hearing about others’ creative processes as well. I’m like you a lot, I have to have the photos shot & edited before I do any writing. And I have to leave my post for a while before coming back to proofread it; you catch so many more issues that way! I just need to get better at planning now 😉.
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Thank you! I’m glad I’m not the only one! And I definitely feel like having the photos shot and edited beforehand makes the process so much easier. I don’t know why, but I can’t stand doing it the other way around haha!
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Me too!
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I really need to do step 5. I usually just post it right away. Although I read it multiple time before posting, it is still better to leave it a few days and go back to it. And honestly, everyone should blog once in their life so they understand nothing is easy.
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I’ve only started doing step 5 more recently, and I can say it really helps! I think it just gives you a fresh perspective on what you’ve written, and a lot of the time I find myself wanting to add more to posts when I go back and read them! And I completely agree! Blogging is not easy, and everyone should give it a chance so they can understand that!
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Awesome post! I usually write the post. I am super picky about pictures, so I go into Pinterest, or do flatlay’s with my favorite items. I think of ideas on the spot. Sometimes I plan. I read a post over 3-4 times. xx
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Thank you! I’m super picky about pictures too! It takes me forever to figure out which ones I like and then edit them to exactly how I want them! And I love the idea of planning some posts and being more spontaneous with others! Planning can be nice, but it’s also kinda fun to write about what cool idea pops in your head!
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I also leave my posts sitting at least for a day and then reread them. It often helps me also of I print it out. I noticed that when I read something on paper it is a lot easier for me to spot mistakes. 🙂
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I’ve definitely heard that reading something on paper makes it easier to spot mistakes! I think I’m going to have to give it a try with my next blog post! 🙂
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A lot of the time i do take photos before the blog post is written up because i struggle to write it without the photos but on the off occassion i dont have the photos done then i’ll bulk write loads of posts to then have pictures ready to insert!
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I definitely feel the same way! I think it’s just easier to write when you know you’ve already got the photos done, especially when you’re doing a favorites post or something. If I don’t shoot photos before I write a favorites post, I usually end up forgetting about one of my favorites haha!
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Thank you for sharing your process! I personally take pictures after writing it but I often feel lazy so I have a lot of drafts without pictures because I never end up taking the pictures 😂 I may try taking photos before!
Have a lovely day 😘
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You’re welcome! Thank you so much for reading! It’s definitely a personal preference, and I can see why you’d prefer to write before you take photos! It would be nice to have a post written in advance so you could just insert the photos and be done with it! 🙂
Have a lovely day as well!
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Yes it can be nice sometimes ! 😄😘
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I pretty much follow the same steps. I ALWAYS take photos before writing because, depending on the type of post, I like to be able to visualise. Great post!
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I tend to have several drafts on the go at the same time. I’ve currently got 56 drafts – some just titles, some have a paragraph or two. Some I’ve taken the photos for but started the written content. I’m like you, some posts require some research and more effort than others and it’s always those which I put off! I can’t seem to sit and bash out a post in one sitting, even after almost 2 years of blogging!
Samantha x
Thebeautyspyglass.com
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I don’t take much pictures for my posts anymore because my depression and anxiety have been pretty bad lately but usually I take a bunch of photos and edit them (I use Adobe Lightroom but it does have a subscription fee) and then when I write posts I add photos that I think go with it to them later on.
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