Pish Posh Challenge - Week 4

We have entered into the fourth week of the Pish Posh 8 Week Challenge. Which means we are half way there. The other people participating are tackling a number of challenges. Some have weight loss goals. One is trying to quit smoking. Some are trying to reduce stress. My challenge was a writing challenge. I decided to try to improve my writing by doing it more often and since I publicly declared that I would post five times per week, I had to do it.

I never actually threw my computer.

This is the end of the fourth week and I have kept up the pace so far. However, it has been much more difficult this week than the first three. A frantically busy schedule and extra stress restricted both my time and creativity. I had several nights when I just didn't want to write and dreaded picking up my laptop, but this is why I entered the challenge. Having stated that I would do this and posting it on Pish Posh's blog gave me the extra incentive needed to get it done.

Here are my posts for the past week. Click the links to read the posts.  

Monday
I'm Ready To Move
I wrote about the kids in my neighborhood that want my attention so bad, they come into my house if I don't keep the doors locked.

Tuesday
I Am Now A Neighborhood Threat
I had a run in with the local police department.

Wednesday
Can I Trade This Month For Another One?
My pouty post for the week. I was having a bad day and had nothing else to write about. So I poured it out into my blog.

Thursday
A New Day
After one day of feeling sorry for myself, I felt much better and the sun began to shine again.

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I haven't put the care into my blog as some people have, but I am so grateful that I started doing this two years ago. I love my blog and kind of consider it my baby. I love crafting the words and deciding what I will be writing about next. I have also learned a lot since I started. Here are some of my tips for beginning bloggers.

1. Find your own voice. You have a way you tell a story and that is the way it should be told. Don't try to copy someone else's style. It always comes out forced and doesn't sound genuine. Since your stories are your own, tell them your way.


2. Visit other blogs. There is a variety of reasons for this. Other blogs can inspire your own writing. Plus, there are wonderful people out there who are sharing their lives and talents with the world.


3. Leave comments on other blogs. This not only let's the person know you appreciate what they wrote, but it starts a dialogue. Ask the author a question. Offer an opposing viewpoint (politely). Expand on the idea being presented. Leaving these comments also leaves a trail on the internet back to your blog. My traffic increased greatly when I started making an appearance on other sites.


4. Respond to comments left on your posts. This helps to keep the dialogue going, shows your readers that you appreciate their visit and is a step toward forming friendships. I have several people who I have never met that I consider to be friends. I regularly show up at their blog or they come to mine. Often, it's both. I have a few dozen people who I am determined to meet at some point.


5. Turn off that stupid CAPTCHA.
   I hate that thing. It is so frustrating to have to punch in a code after leaving a comment. Some of them are almost impossible to read and I have lost my comment on many occasions when I typed in the wrong code. After a few failed attempts, I generally just move on. Leaving a comment should be easy. You shouldn't have to strain your eyes to make out warped letters.


6. Participate in writing groups. This will introduce you to other writers and helps them to get to know you and your writing as well. Several good ones are Studio 30 Plus, Write on Edge and Dude Write. These groups along with many others sometimes offer writing prompts to challenge yourself.


7. Be willing to get a little personal. I am not suggesting that there shouldn't be any discretion, but it's OK to be real. No one wants to read about someone who whines all the time, but it is acceptable to talk about some of your struggles. It is especially helpful once you've gained a loyal audience who is more than happy to leave encouraging comments. Plus, your readers will be happy to get to know you a little better as a real person.


8. 
   Proofread and edit before posting.
   Mistakes happen sometimes. Misspelled words and bad sentence structure will occasionally find their way in. (Note the dangling participle in the previous sentence.)  Occasional errors are fine and hardly even noticeable, but when there are several spelling mistakes in a single paragraph, it distracts from the writing. 

This is a not a definitive list by any means. No research has gone into coming to these conclusions. It is just a compilation of some of the things I have come to learn since I started this blog. I will surely put this list into practice as I tackle the last four weeks of the challenge.