Long ago I attended a group session with my writing coach, in which she explained that consistency was an important feature of blogging. My readers would start expecting to hear from meon a regular basis, she said, a length of time established by how often I normally post, whether it’s every day, once a week, or some other regular span of time. If for some reason I started to continually disappoint them, I would lose them as followers.
I’m reminded of the pets in my house, who suddenly appear in the kitchen at their normal feeding time, waiting to be fed. Nobody has to call them; they simply arrive, expecting to be fed again on that particular day. Even the fish woggles expectantly at me at the top of the glass bowl. Their confusion and disappointment is evident on the days when the schedule is disrupted for some reason, and eventually they just wander off to nibble on the dry food that’s available in just such an emergency.
Nobody said consistency would be easy. It’s perhaps the biggest “challenge” of the whole A to Z Blogging Challenge! It doesn’t take into account work schedules, physical health, computer problems…or writer‘s block! It simply expects results…on time, every time.
If I struggle with this word in my writing, I likewise wrestle with it in the less creative moments of my day. I want to be known as one who delivers what’s expected on a regular basis, that those around me who come hungry for love, encouragement, hope, will go away satisfied, not because I was able to dredge up something from the bottom of the feed bag, but because those things are part of who I am, the natural overflow of my heart. It’s them I’ll be able to overlook any personal problems I might be facing at that particular moment to give whatever‘s expected when I‘m called on to supply it.
I look to God’s creation for inspiration. The sun comes up every morning without fail, the seasons flow from one into another; nothing stops the flow of God’s love from His heart to His people. May He see that kind of consistency in me.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
(Hebrews 13:8 NIV)
(Hebrews 13:8 NIV)
I was told the same thing by my writing mentor. I had been blogging quite haphazardly, and she told me to post regularly in order to develop the practice of writing and to gain and keep followers.
ReplyDeleteSince I started to do that, writing has become my major activity for the day. I was aiming to post on my blog on every weekday. Over the past month or so I've posted a blog almost every day.
The number of daily visitors to my blog has increased dramatically. Apparently my mentor was right.
Enjoyed this post. Just a few days into this challenge and I'm already feeling the pressure of finding time for daily posting and blog reading in my schedule. But I'm determined to stick with it for the month, and see what folks' reactions to my posts are, and then re-think blog theme/content and blogging frequency once May rolls around.
ReplyDeleteElaine,
ReplyDeleteI loved your point about how we get conditioned to expect certain things at a certain time. And our disappointment when what is expected does not happen. So very true!
Great post!