Not THAT monthly schedule, silly people!
As my readers know, at the beginning of each month I post a list of subjects that I will be writing about during that month. I started doing that for lack of something better to post one day, and it seemed to catch on (who doesn’t love flying monkeys?).
Of course, there are both advantages and disadvantages to giving such a preview:
ADVANTAGES
- I don’t face those last-minute posting deadlines since I schedule my posts up to a month in advance.
- I can cough up ideas in a more leisurely manner than people who publish their posts the same day they write them.
- If I can’t come up with any ideas on any particular day, I don’t have a panic attack (well, actually, I do, but it’s not as severe as it could be).
- If I become ill or involved in some life-changing event (like a new puppy!), my stress level is somewhat eased by the knowledge that I already have that week’s post written and scheduled.
- My readers have some idea of what’s coming. If a scheduled post is especially enticing (aren’t they all?), they can mark it on a calendar; if a scheduled post looks boring as hell (heaven forbid), they can mark that on the calendar, too.
- Should I accidentally write about a subject that is covered by another blogger between the time the preview is published and the time a post is published, I can always say, “Look, I had it SCHEDULED first!” (WordPress may stink on stats, but they do keep track of the dates of every, single one of those 50+ drafts of each post!)
DISADVANTAGES
- I actually have to write the darn posts that far in advance! And, I have to come up with those cute little teasers for the schedule.
- Once I publish the schedule, I’m locked into actually publishing those particular posts, even if I re-read them and decide they’re fluffy pieces of crap (cotton balls, anyone?). Or else, at the last minute, I have to create a different post on the same subject matter.
- If I come up with some earth-shattering idea outside what I’ve scheduled, I have to publish a “special edition” post. (Actually this may be more of an advantage, since those special posts seem to get more traffic.)
- Once I publish the schedule, I run the risk of some news-worthy event coinciding with a post that has a dramatically differing viewpoint. Suppose, for instance, I write a post about hating kids (or at least sometimes finding them annoying), and then there’s another school shooting the day before my scheduled post runs. Or worse yet, my post runs in the morning and the news story hits later in the day. Definitely would not be good. And hopefully won’t ever happen.
- While allowing my readers to note my scheduled posts on their calendar, it is also a disadvantage because I could very well lose readership for any particular post if my readers deem that post not worth taking the time to read (please, God, NOOOOO).
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Others have told me that writing a blog is not for the faint-hearted, and the longer I write mine, the more I believe them. But that has never stopped me from doing I want before, and I won’t let it stop me now.
I have noticed, however, that I seem to be enjoying more of my evening glasses of wine now than I did before starting this silly thing.
And so, a toast to bloggers around the world, and to whatever it is that provides those bloggers with the material for their work! (hiccup)
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I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post, comment on my Facebook page, or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com
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Images by: Barbara/Sweet Dreamz Design, and Rick Harrison/tricky, and Desi/the Italian voice, and Domiriel, respectively
Cordelia's Mom, Still 