I’ve been hyper-busy lately with my job, edits, blog hops, preparing for the release of Almost Perfect in December. As a result, I’ve been blogging like a fiend! I posted with two blog Hops on one day, was a guest blogger for Casea Major, and have written three more posts for Decadent Publishing blogs. Plus a couple for the Journal.
The result: I’m all blogged out! My brain fizzles when I try to think of a topic to blog on. I have a list of posts I could write, but my motivation factor is about a 2 this time of year. I’m hoping once my job calms down and I have more free time I’ll be champing at the bit again to write for the Journal.
I’m encouraged to find I’m not alone in suffering Blogger’s Burn Out. I checked Google and there are many posts where the blogger is taking a vacation from blogging or complaining that they can’t think of anything to blog about. So of course I had to do research–what to do when you’re all blogged out.
Five Topics You Can Use to Break the Dam:
1. Answer a question. This can be a question you have (you’ll have to go do that research to answer it) or one posed to you by other writers, readers, email contacts.
2. Post a Photo Journal Entry. Do a photo documentary of some topic you are interested in instead of just writing about it.
3. Write about what you know/write. As a writer of romance I should be able to write about romance, especially pertaining to historical and erotic romance since that’s what I write. Popular posts also include character interviews and posts from the character’s perspective.
4. Director’s Notes on how and why you got your inspiration for your story. Backstory on your story can also create a good post. One of the blogs I just posted gave the “lowdown” on my characters–every dirty little secret I figured they wouldn’t want readers to know.
5. Give a quiz on one of your works, offering a nice prize to the winner. (I may actually do this one soon!)
I culled some of these ideas from various posts on the internet, but two most helpful posts were Michael Hyatt’s 13 Blog Post Ideas for Novelists and The Publicity Hound’s Blog on Fiction Authors: Blog About These 19 Topics.
All kinds of ideas can be implemented as a blog post. A month or so ago I was again stuck for a topic, so I decided to appeal to my writer friends. I set up a writing prompt and asked them to “Tell Me A Story” by adding sentences to the original prompt. It didn’t go very far, though it took some amazing turns. But that post–tagged as Scheherazade–has gotten an incredible amount of hits. I plan to resurrect it, start the story again, and see where she goes. The fun part is the creativity in the post.
Most writers I know have a blog, so ladies (and gentlemen), what are some of your favorite post topics? Is there a topic you’d like to see here on Jenna’s Journal? What do you do when you’re “all blogged out?”
My shameless promotion follows for Cyber Monday:
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Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
I, too, liked the tell me a story one. I’ve found I have less time as well. I’ve given up two poetry sites for various reasons but have been reading more blogs as I keep finding them. I still do SSS which is totally helpful for my stories, I still do my weekly blog challenge for which I’ve done photo blogs, book reviews, stories and poetry. Because of the prompts it’s easy to vary the blogs. Also working on a few story lines when the mood strikes. Doing one now that takes place in 1900 so lots of historical research 😀
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You do sound super busy, Sue! I need to find a subject for a photo blog. That sounds way cool. I envy you doing the historical research, though many would say that statement made me certifiable! I love doing historical research but can’t forsee any on my plate for a good bit. I’ve got a contemporary going right now, then revisions to about four books already completed. Ah, well. Perhaps revisions will call for more research. 🙂
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As you know from visting WordWrangerls (yes, that was a shameless plug), I usually post one of my own pictures and build around it. I am desperate for a contest, but my blog mates aren’t as gung-ho as me. LOL.
Good luck finding a new topic!
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You could be my new topic, D’Ann! You could guest post on something like horses in historical romances and hold a contest on my blog anytime. How does that sound? 🙂
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I’ve only got one blog and I can’t find time to get to it – you amaze me girl!
Thanks for theitps to get me back on my blog track.
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Thanks for coming by, Daryl. If I helped, I’m happy! 🙂
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Sounds like you have already done your research and have some great ideas from those other sites. But there is the old adage- stolen from the best with pride.
When your well has run dry, check out what others are blogging about or partner with them (not just those who are writers of your genre or even necessarily writers) and do a posting exchange for a fresh voice at your site (gals agreeing to babysit for each other, etc).
I’m sure its just being tired and stressed. Take care of you and that brain will feel refreshed too. (-;
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Thanks so much for the encouragement, Sophia! It has been a hard couple of months at work, but Christmas is coming and with that a good long break. I’ll re-charge and be ready to blog up a storm in the new year. I just want my posts to be interesting and helpful to both readers and writers. Therefore, the need for new ideas and new blood.
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I know where you’re coming from. I’ve had to do several character interviews in the past week and I think they really are the hardest type of interview to do. You, the interviewer, have to be both people. The one good thing about doing them was at least with one I was able to create some back history to Emily Dahill. At least I think it was her I did the interview about. Or maybe it was Kebi.
I did love the ‘Tell me a story’ feature you had but might I suggest having a sign up list or something so when someone posts their sentence or three it will sort of fit into the wacky story.
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I did enjoy creating backstory for Pam and Roger in Almost Perfect. It was fun to make them even quirkier. LOL I’m still thinking how to handle the “Tell Me A Story” prompt, because people did get widely divergent from the previous poster. But that was part of its charm I think. It became a very wacky story but remained interesting. We’ll see. 🙂
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