It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything on my blog, and this is a slightly different post to the rest, as it’s not technical in any way… Instead it’s a quick post about a series of fantastic writing tips and techniques posted recently, from my good friend Tim Hall at ORACLE-BASE. I’ve tweeted a few of these links already, but thought it a good idea to list the series here for anyone thinking about starting to blog, already blogging, or just wanting to get back into the swing of it…like me! 🙂 So here they are…
- Writing Tips : Why should I bother?
- Writing Tips : How do I start?
- Writing Tips : Writing styles
- Writing Tips : How do I stay motivated?
- Writing Tips : Dealing with comments and criticism
- Writing Tips : Should I go back and rewrite/revise/remove old posts?
- Writing Tips : How often should I write?
- Writing Tips : Backfills
- Writing Tips : Should I write off-topic posts?
- Writing Tips : How do I publicise my writing?
- Writing Tips : A URL is for life, not just for Christmas!
- Writing Tips : How can I make money?
- Writing Tips : Can I get paid to write?
- Writing Tips : Copyright Theft
I actually started this blog because of Tim’s direct influence in getting my scrappy .TXT files and SQL scripts into some kind of order (hence the “Backfills“). More often than not, I find myself either trawling through my notes trying to find something I’ve worked on previously, or not quite understanding those notes any more! I find writing a quick (or long!) post about it helps me better retain the information, I can organise it with a ‘category’ and ‘tag’, but at the same time, share it with the wider world…and as Tim said: “Those little hints and tips might just change someone else’s world.” This is absolutely true, as I started to realise when the “thank you” comments and emails started trickling in from my earlier posts, and it’s quite a rewarding feeling at times knowing you’re making someone else’s day that little bit easier!
For me, the “How do I stay motivated?” post was a good little read. That’s where I struggle really, along with having the time to write. In my eyes, writing is much like going to the gym. Some days you really don’t feel like doing it, or have more important things to do, and if you try pushing yourself too hard, too often, you’ll just end up burning yourself out and not accomplish anything at all. Just go when you can, without pushing yourself too much, or feeling like you have to prove something to everyone else out there. You’ll be surprised how much you can get done in a quick 30 minute workout, and once you’ve started your session, you’ll sometimes gather that bit more momentum or motivation to carry on a little further. On the days you decide not to go, just have a think about what you might do next time you do go…and sometimes just thinking about it or planning it, might spur you on to go along and just do it anyway!
Watch this space…I’ll be writing again soon…after all, I’m still paying for my gym membership! 🙂