Keeping Blogs Going

Google Reader was a really cool contraption on the Internet, where one could have all the blogs one reads in one convenient location.

While I admit I didn't go there often, when I wanted to look up what a friend had written recently, I could go there.

Well, Google Reader met its demise and went away on July 1st.  :(

So, the week before, I went to Google Reader and moved all 50 blog links to a file, so at least I had the URLs still in one location.

While I did this, I clicked on every single link. And I was shocked and disappointed what I found.

About 10 links didn't even work at all (the pages were empty and no blog were even there anymore), about 5 links were current and had fresh blog entries, 10 links hadn't been updated since 2012, 10 more hadn't been updated since 2010, and 10 others hadn't been updated since 2009.

It got me thinking about a question a fellow blogger (from Cali) asked me one time, "How do you find time to blog? How do you come up with topics?"

The topics part of her question was super easy:

I play so much pool, that topics just jump out at me to write about. I honestly have a list of topics I have yet to even write about because I haven't had time yet. I don't ever seem to run out of topics. Further, when I see relate-able things on the Internet or TV or magazines, I write about them, also. So, I see topics literally everywhere.

I love to share and get my thoughts down, so it's pretty easy for topics to jump right at me.

As a matter of fact, I have to write myself little reminders of what I want to write about b/c I forget a lot. I can easily have 3 topics I want to write about from every weekend tourney I run or attend, or during league things will crop up, or watching my boyfriend gamble, or even just sitting with friends drinking at the pool room, I truly "see" a lot of things I want to share.

I truly think it helps to get feedback, tho. While I admit I write b/c I want to get things down for myself, the feedback from friends or fellow-pool-lovers really inspires me to write even more.

And then when people tell me they learn from my blog entries, I get even more pumped up! So many people tell me they relate to my stories, that it makes me feel like I'm contributing to our sport somehow.

Now, the other part of her question is actually the meat of why my blog is one of the "alive" ones and why others aren't, imo.

As a reminder, she also asked me "How do you find time to blog?"

I actually look for and seek opportunities to write.

For instance, my b/f and I go to the casino about an hour and a half away, and I will ask him to drive so I can write up some blog entries. As a matter of fact, I'm doing that right now. My laptop is on my lap, I'm typing these words while he is driving. I have an hour or so to get the meat of several blog entries typed up, then when I have time later (when I can log onto the Internet), I review my entry, check for errors, add more things, etc., then post it when it's finally "prime-time" ready.

It is very helpful for me to get things typed out, then go back later to proof read it, and then finally post it.

Proofreading is the quick part, so I'm able to get more blog entries completed this way if I type the bulk out separately. I can easily type up the meat of 2-6 blog entries in an hour and half if I really set my mind to it.

So, for example, I typed this on Thursday July 4th, but am just now able to get to the blog entry again to proofread it today (July 9th).  This is was my first opportunity to get to it.  But, it isn't taking me a lot of time to "prepare" it to post it b/c the bulk was typed out while my boyfriend was driving that day.

When I fly, I ALWAYS blog. I do the same thing: grab my laptop, type my main thoughts down, then put it online later when I get connected to the Internet.  I also try to capture a lot on the flight back from a big tournament or else it will take me a while to catch up on all the topics that came up.

I take my laptop to my hairdresser, or when I know I will have long waits somewhere. I don't like to waste time, and so if you ever see me just resting, it means I'm super exhausted lol.

I hardly ever type blogs at my house, but I do sometimes stay late after work and use my desk because it's much more comfy and accommodating.