As you may have noticed, I am a fan of How They Blog by Kat Lee. I shared her blog planning kit HERE and I am still using it! Recently, Kat sent out an email asking us to fill out a form about how we blog if we wanted to be considered for a feature. As cool as that would have been, I don't think I have awesome enough knowledge to share with the fabulous bloggers out there in the world. Still, I thought it would be fun to answer some of the questions here on my blog, for funsies.
My blogging story:
Well, it honestly started when I was back in high school. Probably when I was 16, so ten years ago? Wow. My friends and I all had a blog at livejournal, which TRUST ME was very different 10 years ago. We all had a 'blog' where we shared our innermost thoughts and then we read them all and chatted. Very odd. Very angsty teenager. Eventually the site notified everyone that they wanted to become a pay-to-use site. All our posts were instantly lost! No grandfathering in.
Jump ahead to August 2011. I had been reading some blogs about being a wife and Christian and decided to jump in. I started with sharing random tips, baking, and thoughts about my walk as a Christian. As the years have passed, I have tapered off, and then came back, and tapered off, and etc. I really enjoy the idea of blogging and sharing in community with other wonderful women. Last month, I also started a book blog which I am LOVING! I have always been a book nerd and it is so wonderful to have a place to be truly nerdy with like-minded nerds :)
My Writing Process:
Not very detailed. I keep my ideas on a lovely blog ideas list. You can find many of these all over the web, including one in the How They Blog planning kit. I prefer color and so use the one found HERE. I also keep a running list on Evernote. I love how I can access that list on my computer, phone, or Ipad.
Sometimes I rough draft or outline a post in my blogging journal, sometimes if I have time I write out the whole thing. Then I open up my blogger and type away! I have never lost a post accidentally, but I am sure my time is coming :) I then give it a quick edit, label it, and either save as a draft or publish! Most posts take me 30 minutes to an hour to type up. I am not a 'fancy' blogger, so I don't always have tons of photos to edit, or SEO to follow.
Some of my favorite gadgets and apps:
The only apps I use on my phone (Galaxy s4 represent!) that relate to blogging is Instagram, Twitter, and Hootsuite. I mentioned that I use Evernote for keeping lists, ideas, and half drafted posts sometimes. I also frequently use Feedly to catch up on blog reading when I am out and about.
I don't have a DSLR and I am no longer enjoying the quality of photos my point and shoot produces. Almost all pictures I take these days are taken with my phone. I edit photos in either PicMonkey or Ipiccy, depending on my mood. I also use Evernote and Hootsuite on my laptop, which is not a Mac thank goodness, but a Asus something something with Windows and Office 2000 on it. Not having at least the 2007 suite is killing me!
How I manage social media:
This is still a work in progress. I usually read my Feedly in one bulk go. This means I am processing several wonderful blog posts that I would love to share on Twitter. I often use Hootsuite to schedule these for the day, sometimes 2 days in advance. I do feel bad about not actually being present on Twitter then, but I like promoting good reads and bloggers. This can take me about an hour every few days, combined with the actually reading as well. I try to spend no longer than that catching up on Feedly in one go.
I don't use Facebook for my blog, but do follow several blogs with my personal account. I will usually check this in the morning and give it a quick glance through. Any links that catch my eye I open in a separate tab and read over breakfast or while drinking coffee. These are usually the posts that I am most excited about. I consider Facebook, then, as a sort of preliminary Feedly check.
I do spend waaay too much time reading emails and other blogs. Especially now that I write on two different blogs and follow two different 'niches'. I check my phone all the time and do quick deletes and save other emails or posts for later. I do this while running errands or laying on the floor with Baby Girl.
Wrap up!
Well that is pretty much my blogging in a nutshell. I will have to share more details about my blogging journal and binder another time. I can't share awesome pictures of my office space with you because I don't have one! My laptop, binder, journals, pens take up my tiny four sitter square dining room table. When guests come over the laptop and papers sit on the printer...on the floor. Hopefully this will change in the somewhat near future!!
Thanks for reading my How I Blog :) I would love to hear your writing process! What are your favorite apps and gadgets??
My blogging story:
Well, it honestly started when I was back in high school. Probably when I was 16, so ten years ago? Wow. My friends and I all had a blog at livejournal, which TRUST ME was very different 10 years ago. We all had a 'blog' where we shared our innermost thoughts and then we read them all and chatted. Very odd. Very angsty teenager. Eventually the site notified everyone that they wanted to become a pay-to-use site. All our posts were instantly lost! No grandfathering in.
Jump ahead to August 2011. I had been reading some blogs about being a wife and Christian and decided to jump in. I started with sharing random tips, baking, and thoughts about my walk as a Christian. As the years have passed, I have tapered off, and then came back, and tapered off, and etc. I really enjoy the idea of blogging and sharing in community with other wonderful women. Last month, I also started a book blog which I am LOVING! I have always been a book nerd and it is so wonderful to have a place to be truly nerdy with like-minded nerds :)
My Writing Process:
Not very detailed. I keep my ideas on a lovely blog ideas list. You can find many of these all over the web, including one in the How They Blog planning kit. I prefer color and so use the one found HERE. I also keep a running list on Evernote. I love how I can access that list on my computer, phone, or Ipad.
Sometimes I rough draft or outline a post in my blogging journal, sometimes if I have time I write out the whole thing. Then I open up my blogger and type away! I have never lost a post accidentally, but I am sure my time is coming :) I then give it a quick edit, label it, and either save as a draft or publish! Most posts take me 30 minutes to an hour to type up. I am not a 'fancy' blogger, so I don't always have tons of photos to edit, or SEO to follow.
Some of my favorite gadgets and apps:
The only apps I use on my phone (Galaxy s4 represent!) that relate to blogging is Instagram, Twitter, and Hootsuite. I mentioned that I use Evernote for keeping lists, ideas, and half drafted posts sometimes. I also frequently use Feedly to catch up on blog reading when I am out and about.
I don't have a DSLR and I am no longer enjoying the quality of photos my point and shoot produces. Almost all pictures I take these days are taken with my phone. I edit photos in either PicMonkey or Ipiccy, depending on my mood. I also use Evernote and Hootsuite on my laptop, which is not a Mac thank goodness, but a Asus something something with Windows and Office 2000 on it. Not having at least the 2007 suite is killing me!
How I manage social media:
This is still a work in progress. I usually read my Feedly in one bulk go. This means I am processing several wonderful blog posts that I would love to share on Twitter. I often use Hootsuite to schedule these for the day, sometimes 2 days in advance. I do feel bad about not actually being present on Twitter then, but I like promoting good reads and bloggers. This can take me about an hour every few days, combined with the actually reading as well. I try to spend no longer than that catching up on Feedly in one go.
I don't use Facebook for my blog, but do follow several blogs with my personal account. I will usually check this in the morning and give it a quick glance through. Any links that catch my eye I open in a separate tab and read over breakfast or while drinking coffee. These are usually the posts that I am most excited about. I consider Facebook, then, as a sort of preliminary Feedly check.
I do spend waaay too much time reading emails and other blogs. Especially now that I write on two different blogs and follow two different 'niches'. I check my phone all the time and do quick deletes and save other emails or posts for later. I do this while running errands or laying on the floor with Baby Girl.
Wrap up!
Well that is pretty much my blogging in a nutshell. I will have to share more details about my blogging journal and binder another time. I can't share awesome pictures of my office space with you because I don't have one! My laptop, binder, journals, pens take up my tiny four sitter square dining room table. When guests come over the laptop and papers sit on the printer...on the floor. Hopefully this will change in the somewhat near future!!
Thanks for reading my How I Blog :) I would love to hear your writing process! What are your favorite apps and gadgets??
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