Saturday, November 29, 2008

Ten Things I've Learned During NaBloPoMo

It's almost over. Tomorrow is another excerpt from my ghost story, so this is my last post for NaBloPoMo that consists of new material. Here's what I've learned this month:

1. I have no problem, whatsoever, coming up with ideas for blog posts.
2. I do have problems turning all those ideas into actual posts.
3. When I have to post every day, reading others' blogs and commenting on them has to give.
4. When I have to post every day, reading books has to give.
5. When I have to post every day, I'm online way past 8:00 p.m. (which is something I don't like to be).
6. My novel-writing did not suffer the way I thought it would. I kept up with it until this week (holidays are too hectic).
7. I want to get back to posting more frequently than I was before this month started, but I don't want to post every day (maybe every other day?).
8. I can be disciplined when I want to be.
9. When I post every day, my stats go up.
10. I think if I could figure out a way to turn blogging into a career (you know, that extraordinarily likely event, an editor at The New Yorker calling me out of the blue and saying, "You're a fantastic writer. Will you join our blog staff?" happens), I'd be very happy. Oh, wait a minute. I don't think I really learned that this month...

Congratulations to all the rest of you who made it through this month (both those of you attempting to post everyday yourselves, as well as those kind enough to read a month's worth of my blather)!

Oh, and here are a couple of other things I've learned, thanks to Susan and quizzes (taking quizzes is a terrific procrastination technique when it comes to not writing blog posts). My reading personality is:

Exacting Reader
You read for entertainment but also to expand your mind. You're open to new ideas and new writers, and are not wedded to a particular genre or limited range of authors.

(Yep, that one has me nailed.)

My blog type is:

ESFP - The Performers

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

They enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.


(Hmmm...I, the consummate"arguer," who states what's on her mind, one who tends to avoid conflict? I have most definitely created a blog persona!)

11 comments:

Eva said...

I second you on so many of your lessons learned! Before I started grad school, I was posting almost every day, and had pretty much the exact same thoughts. :)

Anne Camille said...

Congratulations on making it through the month. My 'what I learned' is coming up tonigt or tomorrow. Can get a sneak peak if you read the comments I left on Ms. Musing's site today.

Anonymous said...

Three cheers for successfully completing your NaBloPoMo Challenge. I, for one, have thoroughly enjoyed reading and hope you will post every other day. I took the blog test and I am the same, but I have the same angry streak, so perhaps my blog is the Jeckyl to my Hyde?

Emily Barton said...

Eva, yet again, it's nice to know I'm in good company.

Cam, I did see what you had to say at Ms. Musings, and found it all quite interesting. Why ARE we so hard on ourselves?

Sara, well, glad to hear someone has enjoyed reading all my posts. Then again, what else would I expect from a fellow ESFP blogger who also harbors a hidden Hyde?

Anonymous said...

Cool, thanks for the link to the blog type test. No idea how entering a blog address produces this type of analysis but I go the same results as you.

Anonymous said...

Oh and I tagged you in the commenter's meme. . .

Rebecca H. said...

I loved having all the ideas, too, when I posted every day, but it WAS exhausting! Posting every other day (or three times a week) has been working pretty well for me.

Anonymous said...

I'm enjoying reading everyone's comments on the experience, but I do find regularly that people say 'I don't have time to go visiting', and much as I admire the NaBloPoMo-ers, I wish they would come by my site again as what with elections and holidays and the general dragginess of summer I feel I've not seen my blogging friends anywhere near as much this past 6 months (actually you've been really loyal and read lots of my posts, Emily, so you can discount yourself here). But then, I should probably try to write more interesting posts, too! That would probably help! :)

Emily Barton said...

Laura, I know, and it gave the answer so fast, didn't it?

Litlove, oh, I feel like I've been a horrible "friend" to all my blogging pals, completely neglectful this month (especially those like you, whose blog posts I like to spend time with). I plan to play lots of "catchup" this month. And I don't know how you could POSSIBLY write more interesting posts!

Anonymous said...

And number 3b: when you post every day, it becomes more difficult for some of us to keep up. It makes us feel somewhat estranged.

Emily Barton said...

Mandarine, yes, I'm well aware of that, because I can never keep up with those who post every day (and I don't even have two children to take care of). Then again, you have no one to blame but yourself, since you were one of the few who encouraged me...