Sometimes I schedule blog posts.
I like it not only because it means the blog tends to be released at a consistent time, 6:35am, but because it let’s me get to ideas when they’re fresh in my head which is not always immediately after I get up.
Other times an idea will strike me but I miss the window for writing about it. Writing a post about Black Friday right now wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense, especially since January and February tend to be the months I spend the least money after the post holiday shock.
I like to feel like I’m having a daily conversation with everyone who comes to read this blog, but I’m also keenly aware in part because of my own habits, and what I’m able to observe from stats, that a lot of you don’t read the blog the day it comes out. A post can tank on its first day, and be one of my most popular by the end of the month, so what does a day or two’s advance writing do to change the reader’s experience?
Sometimes I “write the week” so I can focus on other projects that have been falling by the wayside. The first week I was working on Surreality I wrote all of my blog posts on Sunday so I could ride out the week with my head solely on my characters. Inevitably though, those are the weeks when I tend to have the most ideas I want to share with you.
Last month when I was on jury duty I had some time to kill before I reported in. I wrote Wednesday’s post Tuesday morning describing my time spent downtown assuming I’d have duty for the rest of the week. By noon I was released and Wednesday morning I was driving back to work as my post from downtown hit the web. I could have posted late on Tuesday instead of the regular time on Wednesday, but I kind of like to maintain a consistent release schedule (except when I don’t like last week 🙂 ).
A blog’s kind of a weird cross between the immediacy of other social media like Facebook and Twitter, and longer form non-fiction like articles and books. Ultimately I want my writing to be fresh even if it wasn’t brewed twenty minutes ago. Even if it’s topical or seasonal, when those things roll around again I want my writing to have something to say.
Do any of you “write the week”, or on “focus weeks” do you let the number of posts decrease? What works for you?
[BTW] : Ben Trube, Writer 
I’ve taken to scheduling some future posts mostly relating to up-coming events e.g. Chinese New Year, Burns Night. That way, I can write the feature in advance and forget about it, confident that it’ll appear on my blog in due time. I can then get straight on with the next one.
What is “Burns Night”?
Burns Night is a celebration of the birth of the Scottish poet Robert (Rabbie) Burns. In the 25th January, a haggis supper is held in his honour at which his poems are read.
Thanks. I might not be up for the haggis but I’ll find a proper whiskey to enjoy on the evening. I could use to know the great poets better.