8 days ago, I said that I would keep the blog in easy range on my desktop and write as often as I felt like, without putting pressure on myself. Well, this is the 1st post, I haven't really felt like writing much.
But I have been very focused upon certain goals during that week. I added Khan Academy to my desktop and I have been doing loads of work on it every day, I signed up for a chess tactics server, chesstempo and I've been doing numerous tactical exercises. So I most definitely have been spending my computer time in a purposeful manner, it's just that it appears that regular blog writing isn't going to be a big part of that purpose.
I haven't been forcing myself to complete chess puzzles or Maths exercises, I've been doing it because I enjoy them. I like the fact that there will be long term gains from doing them, but that's not the main reason I'm doing them, I'm getting enough pleasure out of doing them at the time to keep me interested.
I can't see myself turning this blog into a full blown blog with daily updates. That being the case, it would appear that the primary use for this blog will be a personal blog, a place for family updates and occasional rants and comments that are too long to fit into a Facebook update.
I'd been envisioning using Silken Musings for that, but my greater emotional attachment to the Went Report title means that this would be a better location to use. So it will be used for that.
I'd been thinking of adding a few posts and then doing the work of including some links and advertising the blog as part of my online presence. But I'm just going to add the links over the next few days and start letting people know about the blog. I hope that a few people will stop by and say hello, but I'm not entertaining any great notions of it becoming a genuinely popular blog, because I'm simply not interested in putting in the necessary effort for that to happen.
The next couple of posts will be about chess and Khan Academy as they're my current passions online and are worth mentioning.
Wednesday 30 April 2014
Tuesday 22 April 2014
Another writing spiel
I think I've had it wrong with my approach to my blogs, the idea in my head has been that I would put a lot of effort into each post and create many well structured and finely written posts. The paucity of previous posts demonstrates the failure of this strategy.
Similarly, apart from the odd journal post, I haven't done a lot of other writing off blog either, despite the enjoyment I get from writing. I'm not aiming to be a writing professional, I just want to write as a hobby, so I need to lower my expectations of each post.
Blog posts are generally ephemeral, read briefly, by a few people, and promptly forgotten. The key, then, is to write, to make posts, regular posts, so that an audience can be built.
What sort of audience would I like? Well, if I knew that 50 people were going to read an average blog post and that 100 might read an interesting one and 20 might read a boring one, I'd be perfectly happy with my audience size. That's not a large number and should be achievable, given some time and effort.
What should I write these posts about? Well, whatever I feel like is, I think, a perfectly valid answer. Not wanting to make money off the blog, not needing a large audience, means that I have the freedom to write as I please.
I expect that posts about politics, current affairs, sport, ecological and environmental issues, books, education, schooling, tutoring are likely to be the dominant topics, with posts about other topics appearing as it suits me.
I think most posts should be drafted and posted quickly, in response to my motivation at the time, with some posts taking a greater effort.
There's 8 days left in the month, I'm going to try and keep dashing off quick posts for those 8 days, both here and on the family blog. If I find that I've posted regularly, then I will add some links, do some work on the look of the blogs and start actively seeking readers.
If it doesn't happen, then I'll just continue to post periodically, more as an online journal than anything intended to reach an audience.
Similarly, apart from the odd journal post, I haven't done a lot of other writing off blog either, despite the enjoyment I get from writing. I'm not aiming to be a writing professional, I just want to write as a hobby, so I need to lower my expectations of each post.
Blog posts are generally ephemeral, read briefly, by a few people, and promptly forgotten. The key, then, is to write, to make posts, regular posts, so that an audience can be built.
What sort of audience would I like? Well, if I knew that 50 people were going to read an average blog post and that 100 might read an interesting one and 20 might read a boring one, I'd be perfectly happy with my audience size. That's not a large number and should be achievable, given some time and effort.
What should I write these posts about? Well, whatever I feel like is, I think, a perfectly valid answer. Not wanting to make money off the blog, not needing a large audience, means that I have the freedom to write as I please.
I expect that posts about politics, current affairs, sport, ecological and environmental issues, books, education, schooling, tutoring are likely to be the dominant topics, with posts about other topics appearing as it suits me.
I think most posts should be drafted and posted quickly, in response to my motivation at the time, with some posts taking a greater effort.
There's 8 days left in the month, I'm going to try and keep dashing off quick posts for those 8 days, both here and on the family blog. If I find that I've posted regularly, then I will add some links, do some work on the look of the blogs and start actively seeking readers.
If it doesn't happen, then I'll just continue to post periodically, more as an online journal than anything intended to reach an audience.
After the commercial break
Well, I'm back. For today, anyway.
I wonder if I will ever make this blog a fully functioning blog where I write regularly and develop an audience.
Still, let that become clearer over time. The last 6 months have not been a complete waste despite the absence of writing on my blogs. Silken musings is now back in my hands after being lost and both blogs are on permanent renewal so shouldn't be lost again!
I've made steady progress with my tutoring and now have the beginnings of a functioning business, although there's a lot of work to do yet to make some money. Still at hobby business levels currently.
www.lindsaywent.com for interested parties :)
I recently decided that if I was going to play chess, then I need to play it seriously as I've just been getting little enjoyment from playing quick games poorly. So I've started playing longer chess again and have been enjoying it much more. I've started studying and am enjoying the complexity of the great game once more.
I've been steadily developing my Maths skills at www.khanacademy.org as I seek to become more proficient at Maths. K-10 proficiency is the current goal and I'll re-assess once it's achieved. Obviously the better my Maths, the more students I can get for tutoring. Year 12 proficiency at 3 unit level is the holy grail, but is also a lot of work.
So, the current priorities are promoting my business further and doing a good job for the students I currently have, chess, Maths, Kristy and Cassie.
And maybe, maybe, this blog too.
I wonder if I will ever make this blog a fully functioning blog where I write regularly and develop an audience.
Still, let that become clearer over time. The last 6 months have not been a complete waste despite the absence of writing on my blogs. Silken musings is now back in my hands after being lost and both blogs are on permanent renewal so shouldn't be lost again!
I've made steady progress with my tutoring and now have the beginnings of a functioning business, although there's a lot of work to do yet to make some money. Still at hobby business levels currently.
www.lindsaywent.com for interested parties :)
I recently decided that if I was going to play chess, then I need to play it seriously as I've just been getting little enjoyment from playing quick games poorly. So I've started playing longer chess again and have been enjoying it much more. I've started studying and am enjoying the complexity of the great game once more.
I've been steadily developing my Maths skills at www.khanacademy.org as I seek to become more proficient at Maths. K-10 proficiency is the current goal and I'll re-assess once it's achieved. Obviously the better my Maths, the more students I can get for tutoring. Year 12 proficiency at 3 unit level is the holy grail, but is also a lot of work.
So, the current priorities are promoting my business further and doing a good job for the students I currently have, chess, Maths, Kristy and Cassie.
And maybe, maybe, this blog too.
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