Mercy lou.
You know what happens when summer hits and you have less and less need to check your schedule? Well, you check your schedule less and less. Until you are caught off guard by places you are supposed to be and things you need to do.
And things that you thought you had 3 forevers to plan for are suddenly upon you.
Like me teaching a brand new session at She Speaks called "Taking the Blah out of your Blog."
Boo Mama is teaching this with me and I feel quite certain she knows her part and will dazzle and amaze all in attendance with her stellar blog knowledge.
I have some deeply insightful stuff to share as well like, "I use blogger. Um, no I don't know anything about the technical side of blogging even though blogging is a technical activity. But I do know when you should use "may" instead of "can" when asking a question. May is the word to use when asking permission. Can is the word to use when asking about ability. The end."
But I'm thinking all that will not delight and amuse those eager to learn how to take the blah out of the blog.
So.
I've been really giving this session some thought. And I do have some thoughts. But then I was worried those thoughts might be a little blah. Wouldn't that be awful? A session on taking the blah out that is itself full of blah?
See? That's why I started this post with the only two words appropriate for this situation: Mercy lou.
It's a family tradition.
Anyhow, back to the calendar that is skipping ever closer and closer and closer to this session. A session in which I'd like to share some helpful stuff about taking the blah out of the blog.
So, may I please ask you something? If you were attending this session, what info would you find helpful? Like I said, I have some thoughts... but I'd much rather hear yours.
Thank you with all the mercy lou my little heart can muster... may muster... no, can muster up.
You know what happens when summer hits and you have less and less need to check your schedule? Well, you check your schedule less and less. Until you are caught off guard by places you are supposed to be and things you need to do.
And things that you thought you had 3 forevers to plan for are suddenly upon you.
Like me teaching a brand new session at She Speaks called "Taking the Blah out of your Blog."
Boo Mama is teaching this with me and I feel quite certain she knows her part and will dazzle and amaze all in attendance with her stellar blog knowledge.
I have some deeply insightful stuff to share as well like, "I use blogger. Um, no I don't know anything about the technical side of blogging even though blogging is a technical activity. But I do know when you should use "may" instead of "can" when asking a question. May is the word to use when asking permission. Can is the word to use when asking about ability. The end."
But I'm thinking all that will not delight and amuse those eager to learn how to take the blah out of the blog.
So.
I've been really giving this session some thought. And I do have some thoughts. But then I was worried those thoughts might be a little blah. Wouldn't that be awful? A session on taking the blah out that is itself full of blah?
See? That's why I started this post with the only two words appropriate for this situation: Mercy lou.
It's a family tradition.
Anyhow, back to the calendar that is skipping ever closer and closer and closer to this session. A session in which I'd like to share some helpful stuff about taking the blah out of the blog.
So, may I please ask you something? If you were attending this session, what info would you find helpful? Like I said, I have some thoughts... but I'd much rather hear yours.
Thank you with all the mercy lou my little heart can muster... may muster... no, can muster up.
22 Comments:
I've been reading your blog for years now, Lysa. I think that one of your greatest blogging gifts is a natural, conversational tone.
I'd give my eyeteeth to be at She Speaks, and if I were, I'd ask how you create that "across the kitchen table" atmosphere with words.
I think I would want to know how you decide to edit personal details- how much do you share about your children? How do you balance that fear of internet security (sharing too much info about our precious children) verses being transparent and honest about what is going on in your life? And when it's very personal but you just KNOW it would also be very helpful and/or entertaining to readers, is it hard to reign those details back in? And... boy this is becoming a long run-on paragraph... do your children ever mind you putting details of their lives on your blog? Do they get a 'say'? At what age do they get that 'say'?
Thanks!
I think I would want to know how you decide to edit personal details- how much do you share about your children? How do you balance that fear of internet security (sharing too much info about our precious children) verses being transparent and honest about what is going on in your life? And when it's very personal but you just KNOW it would also be very helpful and/or entertaining to readers, is it hard to reign those details back in? And... boy this is becoming a long run-on paragraph... do your children ever mind you putting details of their lives on your blog? Do they get a 'say'? At what age do they get that 'say'?
Thanks!
I am interested in the whole multiple blog/single blog question. Should you use one blog for all of your blogging needs, or is it wise to keep multiple blogs? I tend to blog mostly about my spiritual life, how God is growing me, what I learned in scripture, etc. But, I also like to talk about my family sometimes, my marriage, I write a teen devo/study guide weekly for our youth group and I also post those...I guess you could say that my blog is a cluttered catch-all of the things that make up my life.
Should it be more orderly? My compartmentalized? Or keep it random and true to my everyday life as a wife, mother, friend, ministry worker and girl just struggling to know God's heart for me?
(Oh, I am not able to go to SheSpeaks, so if, after the conference, you could give us a little run-down on what you covered, that would be fan-tab-u-lous!)
Happy week Lysa!
oh i wish i could be there.
one thing i think makes blogs less blah is pictures.
another thing is to write to your audience, not to your English teacher. write in a conversational style, like you do.
I agree with the above comments - I think what makes a blog less blah is the personal factor. You are able to make your reader feel like you're right there across the table, speaking directly to them. It's a gift that I believe helps your message come through.
Also, like chickadee, I like pictures and decorations. Nothing too frilly - but enough so that it doesn't seem commercial. So long as that suits your blog.
Good luck! I know you'll do well.
I agree with all the other comments. I have a blog like seesawfaith but it is mostly spiritual. Hence the title Blogging God And Me. I love to see lots of pictures. I love to feel like the blogger is talking to me & not at me. I like to feel like I am getting to know this person instead of getting more of a feeling that you would get reading a magazine. I have seen a few posts lately regarding "blogging erors or don'ts". Those really get me because most of the don'ts have said to only be partly real but I feel like if you have a spiritual blog then you need to be completely real. I like to see different topics and I absolutely love blogs that have interactive commenters that are there to have fun and help as much as the blogger. Of course, being funny never hurt anything either. That Boomama, I don't watch any of the shows she blogs about but I read about them because she is soooooo funny. Love her.
Jennifer
MAY I join the conversaion? :)
What do you do when you hit a wall or a slump? How do you break out of a blogging rut? What is the real impact of and how do you decide if it's time to take a break?
I mention these kinds of things because I think we all deal with them. I have.
I released myself from the self imposed expectation that I had to post somehthing every day a while back. Doing this gave me the freedom to kick back in the evening if I wanted instead of feeling like I had to write something. I think our blogs can get "blah" if we're forcing it too much. Just my opinion.
You blog is never "blah", Lysa.
Neither is your speaking.
Because you let yourself be you in both situations. You don't try to impress us as a super-spiritual have-it-all-together woman. We laugh and cry with you over the ups and downs of life's journey.
I love the personal thrown in. Blogs that are just spiritual turn me off. I can read a devotional book. I want real life with Jesus. And some days just pure girl talk.
You will do just fine, if I may say so myself!
I am so looking forward to the conference! I am going to be attending Taking The Blah Out Of Your Blog. I have so many questions, I don't even know where to begin. Like some of the others who have commented, I would like to know how to keep the "across the kitchen table" feel. What is it that attracts readers to a blog? What keeps them coming back for more? How often should you post? What is blog-worthy? I am new to the writing/blogging world and my desire is to write a book. So, does the blog distract me from the main goal or does it assist me in honing my skill? How do you write spiritual blog and yet keep a fun, conversational tone instead of sounding authoritative? So many questions! She Speaks will be my first writer/speaker conference. I am looking forward to it! Thank you for making something like this available to us!
I've read the other comments and agree with several of them. For me, I love lots of pictures. The more the merrier. I like video clips, too. I guess, for me, a picture truly is worth a 1,000 words. As far as content, I like the real, down-to-earth, friend-to-friend blogs. I totally agree with the comment about not sounding like the blog is written to an English teacher. I, personally, like the hodge-podge effect, and not the "compartmentalized" blogs. I love variety, variety, variety...serious gut-wrenching one day, and hilarity the next because isn't that the way life usually is? Also, I like to read a blog that is updated regularly...maybe not necessarily daily (though, I confess, those are my favorites) but at least weekly.
So add lots of picutures, keep it real, use lots of variety, and write often. That's what takes the blah out of a blog for me.
Lysa, LOVE your blog! Wish I could be at She Speaks. Will you be offering videos to purchase for those of us who can't attend the conference?
I may be hiding in the back of the room in case you and Boo Mama get some technical question that ya'll can't answer :)
My questions may be hard for you to answer or give advice on. What can you do when your mom's the only one who reads? That sort of thing :)
I've been struggling with my writing/blogging because I feel that I go unnoticed. I see all kinds of bloggy friends get invited to do great things, and often I wonder, "why not me?" Of course that's not the proper place to put attention - it should always be on God and what He wants for me. Yet it's hard to keep that focus and just write.
Totally looking forward to hanging out in the back of the rooms all weekend though! I think God's plans for me are more behind the scenes! :D
I WILL be in this session (yippee!!), and I would love to hear about how you decide which topics to blog and which not to blog. Sometimes I write something that I think is soooo great, but then nobody comments. Other times, I write some fluffy post and I get tons of comments! I need help figuring out what my readers truly want to hear about from me. And then - what if they like something different than what I want to say/write? How do I make it all fit together?
Thank you! I am sooo excited for SheSpeaks!
I would love to have multiple comments from readers, and have tried many ways to solicit responses. People do comment easily on facebook, but not on my blog. How do you create that atmosphere?
Wishing you blessings overflowing as you lead the conference!
Lysa,
Love your blog, and love that Holly blogs on here as well. I will be at She Speaks and at the session.
I feel that I must share this with you and the other bloggers.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND LADIES::::::::
The World Wide Web is a PUBLIC FORUM
Yes I am screaming it and here is why. Sometimes it is easy to get caught especially when you are new to blogging in sharing too much information. Before you know it there is more info. out there then you realize. It might be shared very innocent and it doesn't have to be anything bad. The point is that ANYONE at ANYTIME can access it. I know, it has happened to me.
You think you are careful and do the right things and still it happens.
Let me give one example: Lysa, you had a guest author not too long ago. This person took questions and a lot of people posted questions. I was one of them and was very careful not to post any personal information. Yet, within 3 weeks the very content of this post was quoted back to me. I had not told a living soul of that post.
My concern is to just be careful about the amount of personal info. you post in this day and time.
Blessings,
I agree 100% with the comments about the conversational, personal factor. It is hands-down what makes your blog so successful. And pictures are always a great addition to any blog!
Lysa...your blog is the only blog I read for over a year. And it is the very reason I started my own blog (which may or may not be a compliment, depending upon what you think of my blog! ha ha)
1. I would agree that I'm a little confused about the personal info stuff. I mean, I am a teacher/speaker/writer and hope to be a published very soon. In all those venues, I use my full name, tell personal stories (appropriately) and share my church info so people can order my teaching CD's, etc. I know other big bloggers who use pseudonyms and don't post their location, etc. If blogging is an extention of my ministry, how do I decide how much to share? And I don't mean to be naive, but what danger is there in someone knowing my city or my last name on a blog, vs on the back cover of a book?
2. And I'd also like tips on increasing readership without being obnoxious. I don't want to get caught up in a numbers game, but the reality is numbers=people. And one reason I chose blogging is to reach people. In addition, I know publishers look at the numbers from a platform standpoint. So, even though I don't want to get caught up in it, I sort of have to if I want to build a platform that will be meaningful to a publisher, don't I?
3. And from a practical standpoint, how do you balance work/home/parenting and blogging. I take my blogging seriously and treat it as a priority. But when I do, I can't get to the laundry!! ha ha. How much time do bloggers generally spend blogging and how do they carve out time to do so?
4. And from an attractive standpoint, when is it worth it to have your blog professionally designed, vs doing it yourself? I have a do it yourself blog, and I keep wondering if I should step up my game and pay someone to design it.
5. What's the best way to respond to comments? I love to interact with the comment-ers. Mostly I try to e-mail them back or comment on their blog. But I see lots of people comment in their own comments. What's best so people know I've heard them??
As far as things that attract me to a blog and keep me coming back:
Humor, conversational tone, great post titles and opening lines, short posts, steady posting schedule and good writing. And I love when bloggers acknowledge that I've left a comment (not every time, but some times). The personal touch is a sure fire way to bring me back.
Sorry so long. I love this topic. And I can't remember if I signed up for this class or not. If not, I need to get the CD!!!!
Love,love,love,
Sandy
Ah, Lysa, you're always such a refreshing blessing. I was supposed to be sitting down to blog but I couldn't come up with a thing to write, so I decided to read your blog instead, hoping maybe for a little inspiration. Instead, I get comfort. I just can't miss with you.
I am attending She Speaks this year, but being brave and following the Speaking track, but when I saw the option for THIS session, I knew it had to be one that I would attend.
Along with the things that the other ladies have mentioned about interacting with your guests and getting readers which seems impossible some days, I would love to see something about creating your own style. I find myself some days really serious and other days much more light-hearted.
Can't wait to see what you come up with.
And, Lisa B, I'm right there with ya, girl. Come find me and sit in the back row with me.
I would like to know how to balance spiritual and personal in the blog. How much it should be spritual and how much should it be personal. If we all go to much personal, what about our spiritual truth and principles. Do we do 2 blogs. One for each on?
I agree with so many of you - Lisa, your blog is not BLAH and I think anything you share will be helpful. I, too, am not attending so I'd love to hear about it or have the opportunity to purchase a DVD or written materials.
My greatest struggle with my blog is getting to it. I blogged everyday for two weeks as my husband helped me celebrate my 40th and I had such a great time doing it. And my friends and my number one fan, MOM, loved it too! They loved it so much they are missing it now. I love blogging and I want to make more time for it but "real" life, the part that is screaming for my attention, is always there so updating my blog gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. Blogging has been a creative way for me to share my life as a Marine spouse living over-seas and it's therapuetic for me. Bottom line - how do you make it a priority?
Also, I decided before I even started blogging, less than a year ago, that I was going to blog for me. It would be fun to have more readers but I'm excited that I have 8 people following my blog and that I have somewhere to send people if they ask about my life.
As I said, my mom is my #1 fan so as long as she is reading it then that's all that matters. God is doing something in my life and has used blogging to grow me. I now post on a weblog once a week and I'm sure I would have never been brave enough to say yes to that request if I had not been posting on my own blog!!! Best wishes to all you bloggers out there and thanks for sharing your hearts!!!!!
I think I would want to know if you can take over my blog...that's my solution to taking the blah out! But since that isn't an option and that's kindof a copout I'd like to know how you come up with the content. I read your blog and I care what you are about to say next.
I prepare to start writing my blog and the first thought in my mind is...they don't care what you have to say. so i type anyway, i re-read and it makes no sense. It did when it was flowing so poetically from my brain to my finger tips! ARRRRGGGGGHHHH blah blah blah blah yada yada yada
Oh Lysa....!! Your talking, if anything like your blogging, would be amusing, entertaining & downright hysterical. You have a gift with blogging, and it's a pleasure to visit. Talk about blogging because you LOVE it - not because you feel obligated to blog. I blog because I LOVE it, but sometimes, just sometimes, I feel that I SHOULD blog, because there might be some people out there thinking "why hasn't she blogged today?". That sucks all the fun out of the blogging. Thank you for your straight-talking, and the humour you put in each post. You're just a delight!
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