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| Lead the way, Happy (Seven Dwarves Topiary, Epcot Flower and Garden Festival 2012) (Photo credit: ohhector) |
Remember when I said I was going to be doing shorter blog posts for the summer? Over the past few weeks some of you might have been wondering what happened to those shorter blog posts that I was promising. I've been laying some long complicated posts on you readers and a certain lack of comment participation has reflected this. To be sure, I've been getting some of my best comments ever in the past several posts, but they've been coming from fewer commenters. If you weren't involved in any of those discussions I think you missed out on some very interesting content. Of course you're always welcome to go back to those posts and read some of the great comments that I received on what I think were posts on interesting topics.
In any case, I said "short posts for the summer", but it hasn't been summer yet. Now it's here. The days are longer, but my posts will get shorter. And perhaps stupider at times. But that's okay. After all it's summer and who needs to be serious in the summer?
There will also be fewer posts. I will continue to participate in the Battle of the Bands on the 1st and 15th of the month. I will also post on the first Wednesday in order to be a part of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. And I will post once a week on Wednesdays except on those weeks when there is a Battle of the Bands post on the day before.
All I can say is that I'm going to go with the flow. It's possible that I might add a post for something special or to announce the Battle of the Bands results. Things will go back to normal in September. Unless this new schedule becomes the new normal.
That's what summer looks like for me--how about you? Where will you be going during the summer and what will you be doing? Do you have any blogging schedule changes in store?
Living in Britain means summer is a bit iffy, but I have just returned from Scotland where it was SUNNY . . . . . It was a shock but a nice one.
ReplyDeleteI will continue to watch the Blog Mr B to see what you get up too.
Are you planning to do the same with your other blogs. My others are almost at a complete stand still at present. . . .
Enjoy Summer it only turns up once a year (and lasts almost a week here).
You're traveling, so smart to scale back a bit.
ReplyDeleteI'm sticking to once a week on Monday except for IWSG post week. Between summer and edits, I think once a week is good enough. Of course, my posts will be anything but short because of that. At least it's a variety!
Like you said, just go with the flow. I actually plan on posting more over the summer, but I have a lot of time on my hands.
ReplyDeleteSummer's my chance to put a dent in the TBR stacks. So, more books probably means more posts. There are also ample distractions... ooo, World Cup soccer!
ReplyDeleteI schedule my blog posts so far in advance that it makes it hard to do any kind of challenges or blog hops. And you know me...I go on a 3 hour day trip and take over 100 photos and those have to get broken up over 4-5 separate posts. Right now I'm gearing up to write about my day trip to Brewster last week...140 pictures between 10 AM and Noon.
ReplyDeleteRest of the summer, no idea, but it seems that everyone and their brother are descending on Cape Cod in August so it's going to be a very, very social month for me.
Rob-- My other 3 blogs only post once a week anyway. A Faraway View will mostly be videos and those are set up to September. Wrote By Rote and A Few Words are mostly scheduled also, but I should be able to write something short for those while on my trip.
ReplyDeleteAlex -- There is much to be said for short posts, but sometimes I have too much to say to keep them short.
Sarah-- Hope you have some productive blogging and a wonderful summer.
Squid-- I'm bringing a bunch of books with me and will hopefully do some reading.
JoJo -- I never take many photos so I don't have to worry about that. I always enjoy seeing your photos.
Lee
Hey, shorter and stupider is kind of our specialty. But really though, length doesn't matter if you're on a roll and really have something to say. Which clearly you do. Better than rambling about nothing, right?
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good plan. My blogging activity has definitely slowed this month, and I think I might go for an all-out break in July right after the IWSG post---which I've had somebody else already write for me. Just call me Tom Sawyer, haha.
ReplyDeleteI'm playing catch-up with all the blogs I've got on Bloglovin', so I didn't see your deeper posts.
ReplyDeleteI post twice a week, but on Fridays it's just me practicing my photography, so not much effort there.
I don't mind reading longer posts. But when they get too frequent, it's hard for me to stay on top of things.
Except for a few short family trips when I'll be out of town, I'm going to stick with my MWF schedule. I'm afraid if I slack I'll never pick it up again.
ReplyDeleteIn light of reading Brenda Ueland's excellent book, titled If You Want To Write, where she states what many of us forget - less is best - I do my best to let that be my guide.
ReplyDeleteHave a great summer, Lee - you are a great blogger - one of the best - so don't go all scarce on me, now!
Cheers, Jenny
Short or long-it is entertaining to read:) I can't wait-my friend and I are going to Indiana Penn to visit the Jimmy Stewart Museum (My fav) and then to Jamestown NY to visit the Lucille Ball museum(her fav). No we are not renting a red convertible and no, we do not plan to smile, hold hands and drive off a cliff. As for blogging? I will blog for the IWSG and when i make cards and wish to blabber away
ReplyDeleteI've been out of town (and really busy), so I missed all of last week. I'll try to go back and read them if I manage to get caught up on stuff.
ReplyDeleteBeer-- Well, nothing is always an option even though it may appear to be something.
ReplyDeleteNicki -- July sounds like a good month for a break.
Loni -- If I start reading too many long posts that means I am unlikely to read books. I guess that explains why I haven't been reading books.
Susan GK -- That could happen to me I suppose.
Jenny -- I may be scarce with commenting in the next couple months. That and shorter fewer posts. I guess that sounds scarce.
Birgit -- Sounds like you have a plan.
Andrew-- I'm getting more behind too. I'd love to get your take on some of my posts that you missed. There was some good discussion.
Lee
I always tell myself I'm going to write short posts because I know they're more likely to be read that way, but I can't help it - I'm a wordy gal.
ReplyDeleteI say follow where the muse leads you! :-)
Mostly I'll be here. We are staycationing this year so my endless stream of blogs will probably never stop.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking of going off blogger for the summer; but I'm pretty sure I may not come back. Mys posts have been nothing but filler for so long I'm no sure I know how to create something worth reading anymore.
ReplyDeleteA break is always good, just to enjoy the rest of life :)
That photo is so cute!
ReplyDeleteShorter blog posts during summer? I thought posts should be longer since there are tons of things to do during summer. I guess, it's not the length, but the quality. Your posts are always a great read!
Sonnia
I just re-did my summer blogging schedule yesterday as well. My kids are out of school now for vacation and I don't have a lot of down time right now to blog (or read books, to write reviews). I'm cutting back to 3 days a week, and I'm only going to be posting one review a week, on Mondays. My plan was to then go back to posting/reviewing more this fall, after the kids go back to school, but now it looks like I may actually be homeschooling one of my kids-oiy. So, my new summer schedule may end up being my permanent schedule-just going to wait and see what happens :)
ReplyDeleteI spend too much time trying to catch up and thus avoiding other tasks that need attention. It's hard work blogging and trying to give attention to the WIP.
ReplyDeleteIt's winter here in the southern hemisphere - so no warm sunny days. I plan to keep to my once a week blog posts.
Thanks Arlee ..
I have found, like you have, that longer posts don't get the readership that shorter posts do. I think it's a sign of the times and that people are just generally busy and have time for quick stops and short posts but lingering seems to be a luxury of time. As for my blogging schedule, I've never really set up a specific schedule for myself, only that I wanted to post SOMETHING a few times a week. I think if you're gone too long, people forget about you and then overall readership falls off. sometimes I get long-winded but I do try to keep it short for the sake of readers. It's also an exercise in concise writing! Enjoy your summer travels Lee...
ReplyDeleteJocelyn-- I get wordy too when I'm writing. Once I start on something I keep thinking of more to add.
ReplyDeleteJo- Keep on blogging!
Donna -- Oh I'm sure you'll always come up with something. Just do a few posts now and then and keep some presence with visiting and commenting so you maintain some contact.
Sonnia -- Thanks for the kind words. I can always come up with long posts, but summer activities do make it difficult.
Finley--Your summer schedule still sounds like a busy one to me. Enjoy your summer.
Susan Scott-- Yeah, tell me about it. My life seems like it's always about catching up.
Angels-- For general audiences the short posts with alluring content usually do attract more comments if not more readers, but if there is a strong level of interest some readers will stick with it and engage in dialogue. I do enjoy the latter, but a lot of readers and comments can be encouraging as well. I tend to go back and forth with my posts depending on my circumstances.
Lee
Hi, Arlee. Sounds like a good summer blogging plan. I have two blogs and am only posting once a week on one and twice a week on the other. So far it is working quite well for me. Will re-evaluate my blogging schedule at the end of summer.
ReplyDeleteIn the summer, many bloggers drop back on posting, so no problem. I'm a slow blogger anyway, and I don't plan to change that. It works for me, with my responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteI plan to focus on writing and submitting, and editing as needed. We only have one minor trip, a family memorial in the interior of BC. Other than that, it's a day-trip summer for me.
Hope you have a great time, Lee, I enjoyed reading your posts on your last road trip.
I'll probably use the summer to do what I did last year, repost some of the books reviews and other writings I managed to save from my old Angelfire site. I'm also thinking of some other posts which I know most people won't be around to read, but which I want search engines to pick up (like "A Primer on Polish Names). I've found that a lot of my longer, more informative posts get more views, even if I don't get any comments on them. I imagine people doing research for literature or history classes find these posts and benefit from them.
ReplyDeleteI have to take the GRE this summer, and hopefully can visit my aunt in Florida, get back to my WIP, and make some good use of my large new sketchbook and beautiful colored pencils, pastels, and watercolor pencils.
You always have interesting things to say at any length! I'll try to catch up on a few of your oldies but goodies! Happy almost first day of summer!
ReplyDeleteJulie
I think the summer's a great time to scale it back. When I first started blogging I was aiming for three times a week but now I'm good with a post a week or even twice a month. I visited last week and saw the post on Harry Potter. Interesting discussion.
ReplyDeleteI took a comment you made sometime ago about the length of my posts seriously to heart. While you may have said it in jest, it nevertheless caused me to take a good hard look at what/how I write my blog posts.
ReplyDeleteFor this summer, I have made a conscious effort to shorten my posts, if not by actual content, then at the very least inserting a jump-break part of the way through.
As for changing my blogging schedule, the last change I made was about two years ago, when I went from every other day to three days a week. Makes my blogging life a lot simpler.
Father Nature's Corner
Thank you all for the comments and insights about your own blogging. Sorry I'm not getting more personal here, but my time is getting short tonight.
ReplyDeleteLee
Short posts seem just about right for summer. They go with short skirts, short pants, short hair and all the rest of the short things to appreciate during the hot weather.
ReplyDelete