Writing Disclaimers
Blogging is such a weird field of writing. You’re writing about your life, to entertain or educate other people. It’s kind of a mix of journaling and nonfiction, and it also comes with all types of new things you’ll need to learn to write: About mes, comments, sponsored posts, and, you guessed it, disclaimers. And there are very precise ways to how they need to be done. I’ve been feeling under the weather lately (I went to the doctor today and found out I have a really bad sinus infection- yay!). Before I did that, I was desperate to clear up some congestion (and I’ve gotten on a bad “homemade soap” phase lately), so I tried these decongestant shower tablets by Heather Smith at Our Kids Mom. The discs worked great, and the steamy shower did wonders. However, I was also really impressed with her disclaimer- she stated that the vapor rub can make your shower very slippery, and that the article was for entertainment purposes only. What a great way to keep yourself covered! And unless you are a doctor giving medical advice, you need a disclaimer as well! For tips on writing your own disclaimer, check out this post by Nienke Krook at The Travel Tester.
Wordless Wednesday: Festive Office
How To Take Better Photos For Your Blog
I am a terrible photographer. My mom has such an eye for it, so I have no idea how all my pictures end up blurry, unflattering, badly lighted, and just…terrible. That’s why I get most of my blog photos from creative commons sites like Flickr, Free Clipart, and the Creative Commons search engine. However, every once in a while, I just can’t find what I want. I also love crocheting, and will post (bad) pictures of things I’ve made. And, with blogs, it’s so important to post great pictures to get views. So, that’s why I was excited to find this post by Jennifer at Memory Journalists. It has links to 31 articles about taking better blog photos. Reading the entire thing was almost like getting a free online course on photography! Check out some of the lessons:
–Day 3: What is depth of field?
–Day 4: What is shutter speed?
–Day 9: Use details to enhance your story.
–Day 10: Rule of Thirds
-Day 21: Using Symmetry
Blog Post Inspiration- Great List of Prompts
I wrote last week a bit about “blogger burnout”. You get in a rut, have writer’s block, procrastinate, and just can’t think of new ideas. I’m no stranger to writer’s block- I blog, and I also run a creative writing workshop. Every meeting, we do a new writing exercise or story prompt to keep the creative juices flowing and fresh! So, why didn’t it ever occur to me that you use prompts for blogging? Because you totally can! And blog post prompts work just as well as story prompts. Check out this extensive list of blog post titles at Brenda’s Blog Tips that will get you pumped to write! Bonus- you can make them work for a blog about practically anything. Here are some of my favorites:
-(#) Rules For ____
-(#) Habits of ______
-(#) Super Tips For _____
-Beginners Guide: ________
-How ____ Can Inspire Your _____
-What No One Tells You About ______
Beating the Blogging Blahs
We all get writer’s block. It’s totally natural: you can only post so much, and come up with only so many new ideas before you just get burnt out. Especially if you work from home- sometimes, all you want to do is just curl up and sleep all day. It’s really hard in the winter- the weather is gloomy and cold and completely uninspiring. It’s easy to put off work and procrastinate when you have access to your bed, pajamas, and Netflix. But, you have to make yourself push through it! If you’re going through a slump right now, this post by Melyssa at The Nectar Collective should motivate you! (some NSFW language in link)-
-Figure out what you’re afraid of- Will something take a long time? Do you think your results won’t be spectacular enough? Figure out your fears, then tackle it from there.
-Cut yourself off from social media- Turn off notifications on your phone. Set specific times that you’re allowed to check social media sites (and ONLY check at these times).
-Create rewards for yourself for completing projects/ posts.
-Organize! Having a put together workspace will help motivate you.
-Know when to give up, and don’t beat yourself up. Some days you’re just not going to feel it and pushing yourself to work when you absolutely CAN’T will probably only result in mediocre results and even more overwhelm. Play hooky for the day or a few hours. Relax. Take a freakin’ break.
Wordless Wednesday: Super Cute Pallet Desk
Responding To Blog Comments
I know, on this site, the comments are disabled. This is because we’ve had spam problems in the past, and find it easier than sorting through page after page of spam to find genuine comments and questions. However, if you have your own blog, I strongly recommend that you respond to as many relevant readers’ comments as you can- especially if you are first starting out! (I know, do as I say, not as I do). No, you don’t have to type 100 individual “Thank you, glad you liked it”-s to all the people who comment: “Awesome idea!”. But, you should still read all of them, and respond to any questions (especially if you run a recipe or craft blog!). It really helps you connect with your readers! For more reasons why you should respond, check out this post by Marc Guberti:
What most bloggers forget is that they can build conversations by simply responding to other people’s comments. Responding to someone else’s comment counts as a comment in the grand total. If you respond to 25 comments, people will see that your blog post has received 50 comments. That shows bustling activity and popularity: the two things that people look for in a blog.
Wordless Wednesday: Small, Creative Workspace
Friday Fun Video: Unexpected Flash Drive Uses
I absolutely love the idea of using your flash drive as a key! Any small business owner with sensitive documents on their computer will feel the same way. What a great idea!