My Blogging Burnout Experience
Jun 10 2008 
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For the past week I’ve been experiencing blogger burnout. Keeping up with blogging is a tough thing to do. My biggest problem was having nothing to say that hadn’t already been said. I don’t blog just for the sake of putting up a post. I like to have something to contribute and lately, there’s been nothing. Zip. Nada. So what’s a blogger to do?
Relax
First and foremost you have to relax when you hit a roadblock like this. I learned that stressing out about not having something to post won’t help the situation. If anything, it made my brain come to a complete halt. So don’t stress out. It’s ok to take a few days off.
Revisit The Excitement
I actually used the burnout as an opportunity to get back to doing the things I hadn’t had a lot of time to do anymore. I started commenting on blogs again. I joined Plurk. I twittered. I wrapped up TheSocialGeeks podcast for tomorrow with Chris (@idonotes on Twitter” href=”http://twitter.com/idonotes” target=”_blank”>@Idonotes) of TheSocialNetworker. I was in Google Reader a lot more and I actually read my feeds instead of scanning them. I even started stumbling more. This helped to get my creative juices flowing again.
Converse On The Phone
I started answering my phone calls more too. Talking is another way to break through writer’s block. So instead of IMing everything on Google Talk or chatting away on Twitter and Plurk, I picked up the phone. I talked with old friends that had no clue about tech and I talked to a few geeks too. I talked and didn’t worry about blogging.
Write It Down
After every conversation, I opened up Microsoft Onenote and wrote down ideas. This is basically my idea of a blogging journal. After I wrote, I played with those ideas and let it marinate. I asked questions to myself and wrote responses for each question. For some, I even did some research. I got it out my head and on my new laptop.
Now Go Back To Work
Now I’m back and I have exciting plans for SheGeeks and a special treat for everyone next week. However, now my brain is being stimulated again and I feel like writing. I now have a host of ideas to write about too. Maybe this is why Pro Bloggers say you should create backup posts. I’d rather not though. I don’t always write for the future. I’d rather write for today, not tomorrow. So when you’re feeling the burnout set it in, relax, take a deep breath, and go back to what got you to where you are in the first place. Revisit your roots. Do the things that you get your creative juices flowing. Take your time. Write your thoughts down. Then, when you feel it’s time, go back to giving it everything you got.
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good advice to help through something we all experience at one time or another. i'm with you, i write for today only. when i don't feel it, i don't feel it. but then i look at last month's archives and feel the pressure to produce. i know it will come though…
Oh, that's what happened! Good to see you back first of all and Second, good points on how to get the fire back. Imho, it seems you read points you chose not to follow: Writing a post about anything and writing multiple posts when the the fire is there so when it goes out, your audience isn't aware of it. Mental exercises such as forcing yourself to write puts you in places never seen. Look at Duncan he feels and writes like he's relieved not to write about tech 24/7. It's like getting eye strain from staring at one thing. Sometimes you have to look at the wall, then your finger….Mix it up sometimes :)
“My biggest problem was having nothing to say that hadn’t already been said”
I know that problem…I could probably produce 20 posts a day if I ignored that. Finding new things though can be fun in itself.
Glad to see you back, Corvida. Hope your batteries are recharged and you have the fire to blog again. I can definitely empathize with the ennui and burnout you have been experiencing — I went through a similar issue with an old tech support job. Believe me, if you ever get burned out doing phone support, you never want to go back to it again.
In fact, that has become a source of motivation for me. Whenever I feel myself stalling out a bit, I think, well, you can always fall back on tech support. That usually snaps me out of it.
Saw your blog post too lol I could never be mad at your opinions. They're always good.
But please explain what you mean by “it seems you read points you chose not to follow”
That pressure can be such a negative thing sometimes. That's why I only pay attention to the what's going on now, not what's of the past. It tends to ease some of the pressure for me.
So how have you been finding new things? What steps have you taken? Got a blog post about it? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
[foot in mouth] I didn't know how to say “here's some additional points”?
lol you just did silly man! My fire was flickering though. I'm slowly rekindling it back to life. :) I'll try to take your advice though.
Corvida, I have been going through the same thing lately. It took a financial times article (go figure) to get me motivated again. I think the hard is juggling multiple priorities, and feeling like you need to post something on the blog. I felt like I was letting down my readers.
Great post, glad you're still around and looking forward to more of your writing. Motivation ebbs and flows, and the candle analogy is great. Sometimes it burns bright, and other times its becomes a tiny little flame which you have to nurture and care for by putting your hands around it and gently bringing it back to the full flame. You were just going through the nurturing phase, and now the candle should burn brigther than ever.
Sometimes the best ideas come when you're not looking for them…
Loved this post. “Converse on the phone” isn't a tip that you hear very often and it's a good one. Could be supplemented by “converse in person” if possible.
Same here man. I do feel like I'm letting down my readers.
Very true. I just find that real time chat where you can hear the voice and the emotions behind it, it has the potential to help you brainstorm and make things “click”. When I talk to someone about an idea I can get more feedback, and I find it easier to brainstorm when I talk out loud rather than talking in my head.
ahh. so that is what happened.. i was wondering what had been of you.
You know, that got me thinking. I think that's where I differ from a lot of people.. I never socialized well in high school and earlier (typical geek, I guess), so when I started using BBSs back in the 80s, it really was a crash education in interacting with other people. It was almost exclusively through BBS messages or chat, and some phone, but hardly ever in person.
In time, I picked up the ability to 'read' people by looking at their face, but it was definitely very, very late coming for me. As a result, I am perfectly comfortable interacting online, and maybe even more than on the phone. And I still don't do big groups well, but SXSW was fun. I'm getting there.
I am not good on the phone…I struggle with real time conversations when I cant see people and read their body language…sounds a bit silly I know, but IM petrifies me and I always get my OH to answer the phone. I love talking online in blog comments, twitter friendfeed and forums because it isnt instant and gives me time to collect my thoughts I expect.
I always have great ideas for blog posts when I am busy doing something else and think oh yes i'll say that, do this and then when I do get a minute to spare, I cant remember these fab ideas!!
Perhaps I should carry round an old fashioned notepad and pen and scribble my thoughts down as I get them so I can use them later…novel idea or what?? lol!!
Ah yes, I have conversations all the time with great ideas and then forget them as soon as I hang up the phone. I'm starting to think that maybe I should record my phone calls sometimes.
Ah yes, I have conversations all the time with great ideas and then forget them as soon as I hang up the phone. I'm starting to think that maybe I should record my phone calls sometimes.
Ah yes, I have conversations all the time with great ideas and then forget them as soon as I hang up the phone. I'm starting to think that maybe I should record my phone calls sometimes.