• blog book and notepad
    blog,  blogging,  writing

    Writing a blog, some thoughts and SEO

    29th October 2019

    Why do I write my blog?

    I started writing my blog after an incident happened that made me realise that I needed something else to occupy my time. I picked up my tablet and started typing my first novel ‘Rosie’. It sits at about 40 000 words and I’m fearing that I might need to spend a night on the street to finish it or spend some time with ‘Porchlight homeless charity’. People will advise you to write about what you know, both of my novels are what I don’t know, so I will need to research.

    It was about June 2018 that I put ‘Rosie’ to one side and spent a few months just reading and enjoying evening television. It was then that I read online that blogging is a good way to make money. Great I thought, I can write and get paid for it. Well, this is easier said then done, yes you can make money, but you might be working freelance or being sponsored for your article. The money will not come easily, (not in my experience anyway).

    I enrolled my other blog, ‘Just muddling through life’ for Amazon Associates, this earns me pocket money and helps support the cost of running two blogs. Some people make a lot of money from affiliate links, me not so much. I get excited if I have earned £2.00 in the month.

    Sitting here now, eating the remains of my Pumpkin pie and drinking my tea, here are some thoughts.

    blog pumpkin pie

    What is the secret to a good blog post?

    None of mine fulfil this criteria, as far as I am aware, but I know that Search Engine Optimisation or SEO is important. You need to have a keyword that ranks high, so that your post is high on a google search. Your post should also answer a question. You might have noticed that on both my blogs I’m not really answering questions. This might be something I should think about for this blog especially.

    I had a look at ‘Keysearch’ this morning, this shows you how good the keyword you have chosen actually is. However, you have to sign up for a free trial to use it or pay for it. I’m not sure how expensive it is but I’m not purchasing it, yet. Maybe by using ‘Keysearch’ my Amazon posts might rank higher or not.

    I learned that if the blog post answers a searchable question, and then has a nice link to Amazon when the person is in buying mode, they are more likely to click and buy. This does make a lot of sense, but there are so many bloggers out there doing this and they do it well.

    The world of blogging

    I can spend ages after I have typed my post, working through ‘Yoast SEO’. I have asked myself whether I’m wasting my time, but it’s quite satisfying to turn all the lights green.

    Reading other blogs, I can see there are many different feelings on SEO. I try and ensure that all my posts are over 300 words. There are some posts I read that might be a sentence or 99 words only. I might be over thinking it but months ago a lady on Facebook criticised ‘Just muddling through life’ for a short post. This is one reason why I stopped joining in with various blogs that I did enjoy.

    A lot of bloggers run very successful blogs with short posts, even with a large following. Some of them don’t seem concerned about frequent social media sharing as their followers are there actively reading. This is a good thing, very positive and I’m jealous.

    There are so many successful blogs out there. Some of them I can see immediately why they appeal. Some you can see straight away how they would make money.

    I read a while back that every post should be a quality long post, important for SEO, this again goes against some of my fellow bloggers blogs.

    So why blog?

    People blog for different reasons, I suspect that a lot of the blogs that I read and really enjoy are written for pleasure. The author isn’t worried about their statistics or their ranking on Google. They serve their audience and they are happy with that. This is a good thing and I know that I need to relax about it.

    Months ago, I started to go back through ‘Just muddling through life’ with ‘Yoast SEO’, after about fifty posts I gave up. There are so many posts on there that I like that are buried within the website.

    For now, I will continue as I am because as I write, the blog will steadily grow. I have been told not to worry about short posts, but I know many other bloggers would tell me a minimum of 1000 words per post.

    Are there rules?

    There are so many different ideas and different opinions. I guess if your blog is a business then SEO is more of a concern, if for pleasure, why worry?

    So, what are your feelings here? How important is SEO? How important is the length of a post? I have stories on ‘Just muddling through life’ that are over 2000 words. They have very few comments as I suspect people have not got the time to read them. A short post means it can be read quickly, understood, enjoyed and commented on.

    So where am I at?

    I started writing my blog not just because I read I could get paid, but also because I find that writing is a good stress reliever. As a working mum of two, I do get very stressed and I find writing cathartic. I started ‘Just muddling through life’ to share my writing with the world and I try and write it every Friday, either a fiction story, a poem or talk about my children.

    I started writing this blog due to writing my novels, the need to have a platform.  With the novels underway, the question then is, are my blogs a business? They are a reflection of me to the outside world, back to writing long quality posts. Yes, round and round I go, who ever said that writing a blog would be easy? I think this depends on your reason for writing it. However, if you really do enjoy your blog you need to watch out because it is enjoyable and the blogging community can be amazing.

    My reading

    As you may know I have been struggling to fit in reading my book. The last few nights, I have taken my book to the bathroom at 11.30pm and read it in there. Huddled up on the floor, desperate to read it. Part three is due out Thursday 31st October 2019 – ‘GX Todd – Survivors’ . I need to get part two ‘Hunted’ finished, the pressure is on.

    Facebook Live

    Here is my Facebook live from last week

    Today, new blog post and half term holiday – 22nd October 2019

    End of school holiday – 25th October 2019 – Part one  (disturbed due to children fighting)

    End of school holidays continued – 25th October 2019

    Newsletter

    I’m intending to send my newsletter this weekend.  This will include links to all this month (October’s) blog posts.  If interested please do sign up below.

    Today

    If you have watched Friday’s Facebook Live, you will know that I was going to take the children shopping for Pumpkins.  Here is a link to my pumpkin post.

    I will try and come on Facebook Live later.   Right now, I am enjoying my peace, the children are back at school this week. It is lovely spending quality time with them, but for now I am enjoying the break.

    I am now going to re-boil the kettle for more tea, and make the most of my quiet time.

     

    For more see, Time, writing, life and half term holiday

    My other blog – ‘Just muddling through life’

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  • time and daughter
    writing

    Time, writing, life and half term holiday

    22nd October 2019

    Time and writing

    Do you ever have that feeling that you should be writing when you are watching evening television? The feeling of wasting precious writing time? Sitting with thoughts racing around your head, but too comfortable to get up and fetch your lap top. Admittedly I will often type on my tablet and save to ‘One drive’.

    Those evenings where exhaustion gets the better of you. Where Emmerdale and Coronation Street take over. The aching in your legs or maybe pain in your head just act as a distraction.

    How do I keep Writing?

    1. I try and keep Tuesday and Friday, as days for my blogs.
    2. Keeping to a routine, trying to write every night, even if it’s just a few paragraphs.
    3. If I’m a little slow at responding to your blog comments, I am not ignoring you, it’s life getting in the way.
    4. I’m not participating in as many share threads, because I need to write. Trying to prioritise my time, trying not to get distracted. This is difficult because I enjoy working on my blogs.

    Time

    Time is precious and there is rarely enough of it. Balancing life, family, writing and reading, I’ve realised I need time for myself too.

    So, how do you manage time? A difficult question. As a mum to two young children it is hard to find time for me. Though I wouldn’t change them, despite the work. Working on the things you need to do. I’m realising why some of the people I visit in my work day, have very busy, sometimes untidy homes, especially if they also write.   It’s hard to keep on top of everything!

    Half term holidays.

    Yes, now at school holidays and I have time with the children which is great. So far though, I’ve spent Monday, on the phone to ‘Currys, Team Know How’.  (If you have read previous posts you will know that our television went wrong.) There have been numerous problems, and I have now refused to have the refurbished television they offered.  I have now ordered a new television in ‘Currys’. Taking my two wonderful children to a shop full of televisions is a very scary prospect and I did ask the salesman if they were insured. Two children happily playing hide and seek amongst the televisions whilst I was desperately hoping for the voucher code from ‘Currys Know How’, for a new television to work. Crawling around the £3000 televisions they were having too much fun to stop. Have you ever had a similar experience?

    So, today I hope to rest a bit more. Hopefully no phone calls to ‘Team Know-how’. I started typing this post Monday night to then finish it today, as it’s school holidays I need to make time for them.

    ‘Time table Rock Stars’

    At my son’s school they do ‘Time Table Rock Stars’. He has earned over 120 000 lifetime coins. With the prospect of him leaving soon, and starting a new school I have now purchased a family account. If you have young children, five, six and above I highly recommend it. My son really enjoys it because he is good at it, he keeps thrashing me. My daughter is not as interested. I’ve told her we need to make maths fun and with ‘Time Table Rock Stars’ we can.

    Today as I type this, they are sat here playing ‘Survive the White lady’. Sounds a bit scary to me.

    son

    My novel

    My novel is still stuck at 75000 words but for the moment it has ground to a halt. I know I now need to sit with pen and paper and plot the end. I need to work out my characters and their character arcs and I need to know how they have changed from the beginning of the story to the end.

    I’ve been busy with submitting one of my short stories, ‘The little girl in the snow’ to an Anthology, so that has kept me busy. There is another one I’m intending to try and contribute to around December time. So here is a writing balance, so much that I want to do, but I need to prioritise.

    Facebook Live

    Here are my latest Facebook Live videos,

    New blog post, life and parents afternoon – 15th October 2019

    New blog post and school holidays – 18th October 2019

    Today

    So, today I plan to relax, I’m going to fetch a duvet and maybe cuddle up with the children. After yesterday’s dramas I need a day not doing much and certainly not on the phone.

    Trying to make the most of the school holidays, tomorrow I plan to walk with them to town. We have library books that still haven’t been read and I have renewed them too many times. Maybe they can find books that they want to read.  I think my son also needs to visit the Barbers, so that will make his day, he loves having his hair cut.

    I’m also hoping that sometime this week I can relax with my book (GX Todd, Hunted) as I need to get it finished, the next part is released at the end of October.

    Any way I’m now going to make myself a mug of tea and then get on with my day.

     

    For more see, The pressure of writing, life and family

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  • pressure books and phone
    writing

    The pressure of writing, life and family

    15th October 2019

    Writing pressure

    As a writer do you put yourself under pressure? I think we all do it, the pressure to meet deadlines or meet personal commitments. Today I am typing this blog post when I should be working on my story entry for the ‘Beneath Strange Stars’ anthology. I have until the 20th October to make amendments, so why am I typing this? This is my blog that I like to post to on a Tuesday, yes, I know, mad!

    Question is though, do we work better under pressure? I think in some cases we do, the pressure to meet those deadlines.  Will I will be working late on Saturday night? Yes I think I might be.

    My novel

    My novel is still at about 75000 words.  I am needing to outline the story and fully work out my characters and their development from the beginning to the end. I have realised that I need to know how my story finishes, right now I haven’t a clue. So far, the story has written itself, I think it’s now time to think again and work out where it is heading.  It seems to be growing out of control and I have not got any further than a week ago.

    My reading

    I’m failing miserably here, last night I wanted to read, but at 11.30pm, hubby wanted the lights off. It is definitely less productive trying to read a paperback. As I’ve written before, with my Kindle I will usually read in the dark due to the light on the kindle. It honestly is not the Authors writing, it is due to time writing and two small children.

    Both children are doing well at school with their reading. However, my six year old can take over thirty minutes to read her thirty page school reading book.  Homework can be time consuming and adds to the pressure of family life.

    Life and children

    Yes, I am still in the same spiral as last week, but I am trying to write something every day. Now commitments to the ‘Beneath Strange Stars’ anthology will keep me busy, and I’m wanting to submit a story for another anthology on Writers Unite. Yes, the writing pressure is real.

    Facebook Live

    Here are my Facebook Lives from the last week,

    Late blog post and stressy day – 8th October 2019

    Haunted blog post today – 11th October 2019

    Today

    Today I have parent’s afternoon for my son and I have a few questions for his teacher. I know he is doing well, he is hard working and achieved a good school report.  However, it is still good to discuss things with his teacher.

    Our plasma television was written off last week by ‘Currys, Know How’ it needed a new Plasma screen which can not be replaced.  They are now supposed to be sending a refurbished television which after a phone call with them this morning, I’m not sure what is happening.  I’ve read too many negative reviews about them on ‘Trust pilot’, so feeling worried about what might happen next.

    I have had to unload all the food from the freezer as it went wrong last week. An engineer is coming tomorrow to replace a part, but it needs to be unloaded and turned off twenty four hours before he arrives. I have squeezed as much as I can into the fridge freezer, I have fish fingers, cod and meatballs all squashed into a plastic bag. I’ve done well though, we have one casualty.  These were from Christmas, I think you might agree that they are alright to waste,  I am not a fan of Brussels Sprouts.

    pressure sprouts

    This afternoon I hope to do Facebook live again, and then this evening I hope to get more written on my anthology story. The writing pressure continues.

    For more see, Exhausted, writing a novel and reading

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