Category: blog

I have one goal for this blog in 2105: Poast moar! A post per day is unrealistic. I have other writing that takes priority. Since blogging doesn’t pay, it has to slip down a few rungs on the priority ladder. What would qualify as more posts? Looking back at my time in the blogging salt mine of 2104, I didn’t write much at all. I think I tried out more themes than I wrote posts.

Having a blog that’s more than a few posts might need some sort of organizing. I say “might” because it’s not really necessary to create categories and tags. It’s personal preference. All the blog platforms have some form of organization. Categories I see categories as a way of keeping different kinds of content away from each other. It’s like having a tour guide on my blog saying, “Look over here at this, but ignore that.

Today I didn’t use the Pomodoro Technique. It wasn’t so much a planned thing, but just how the morning worked out. I wanted to get right to work on an outline for a longer project. I dove right in and didn’t start my pomodoro timer. I had my other timer running, the one I use for tracking billable time1. So, there was a running counter in my menu bar. My first thought was to just look up at it, and take a break every half-hour or so.

Todays 10 days to a better blog assignment is about the writing environment. I found this to be surprisingly on target. I’ve recently made sweeping changes in the how and where I work. The Old My desk was in the corner of my bedroom, with a window facing westward. I had it set up with a laptop stand, wireless keyboard, a decently wide monitor, USB hub, desk lamp, and a Wacom tablet.

I’m beginning to define and explore the difficult question of why I write and why I want to become a better writer. Here are some of my initial and incomplete thoughts: Because stories; my head explodes with them. I want to tell them, and writing is the only way to share them. Even if I were to podcast or do readings, it all starts with a script. Now is the time for writing.

Dividing up my day can be the hardest part about being a work-from-home freelancer. It’s easy to get distracted, by all the things. The Pomodoro Technique I forgot where I first heard of this, but it’s really been a huge help is how I manage my day. Its creator, Francesco Cirillo, has a site that explains it in detail. He also sells the little tomato shaped kitchen timers that gave him the idea.