Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Blog-Slumped

I think the A-Z blogging burned me out.

I was already used to blogging 5 days a week before that, so it was really only one more day a week.... But it came at a time when I would've cut down to 3 days a week. Then May came, and I hit a slump. Did this happen for anyone else?

When I finally(!) got time to write a couple of posts yesterday (it's been a really busy couple of weeks), I could think of nothing to blog about! I almost never have that problem. I mean I had some ideas, but nothing that jumped out at me. And when I picked the most promising one and tried to write it, it's like I FORGOT HOW.

And it made me laugh, because it's JUST LIKE WRITING. If you write every day, it comes easily, and the ideas are always there. If you blog every day, it comes easily and the ideas are always there.

If you DON'T write for a while, when you try to start writing again, it feels like you forgot how. You can't figure things out. The ideas of where to take your story don't come easily. If you don't blog for a while, it feels like you forgot how. Ideas of what to blog about seem non-existent.

Have you ever been blog-slumped before? How did you get out of it? Or are you there with me right now, just hoping that you'll remember how? ;o)

40 comments:

Eve said...

Oh I understand that I haven't wrote any on my book in a month or so and when I sat down to try and push out some yesterday I just had to read what I already had (which took up all the time I had) and now I'm back where I started lol.

Hope your slump is over!

Cassie Mae said...

Oh my gosh, I just wrote my first blog post that wasn't a blog hop or award prompt today too, and it was like, dude... did I forget how to do this? What was the point I was going for again? Haha!

Definitely slumping too. So bloggy tired from A to Z.

Adrienne said...

I feel like I'm in a constant blog slump! I post every Monday, and I'm such a procrastinator that I don't even think about what to write until Sunday. But I'm with you, this post-A to Z month has been even more difficult!

Kyra Lennon said...

I hear ya! I am just now climbing out of my slump after A-Z!

Rebecca Belliston said...

I hit a slump in March and am barely climbing out if it. Sounds like this is a common occurrence. :) The way I got out of it was getting back to blogging what I wanted to blog about and not what I thought people wanted to hear. Good luck climbing.

Iain said...

I was going to comment, but I've forgotten what I was going to put. :o|

Anonymous said...

I've seen a definite decrease in hits since the A-to-Z ended, but it's pretty much in-line with what I was seeing prior to it, so that's one thing. As for the slump, I think I avoided it with my topic of choice for the challenge. Of course, being sick again, for the second time in two weeks, has limited my ability to blog read.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said...

Hi Peggy, I thought it was just me because I got busy with other things ..like moving stuff from the old travel trailer to the new one ... things that required organizational skills and the other side of my brain. I am still putting up a few picture posts and my Sepia Saturday post(factual stuff), but my creative writing is all dried up and I'm just not drawn to my blog right now.

Oh, well, I'm sure that it will all come back for you and the rest of us who are dragging along. A-Z did put a lot of pressure on.

Kathy M.

Chantele Sedgwick said...

Pretty sure I'm there with you right now. :P

Christa Desir said...

I have become blog-slumped because I don't know how handcuffed I am about what I can say on my blog. I am not supposed to share writing. I don't feel like I can do reviews. If I talk too much about writing stuff, my other friends get bored (I have a lot of friend and family followers). It's a hot mess of blog paralysis. Hang in there!

Unknown said...

Blogging is like writing. You have to do it everyday or you get out of practice. I'm in the post A-Z slump too.

JeffO said...

I'm blog-slumped every Monday and Friday morning when I have to get something up if I want to stick to my schedule.

Leslie said...

I don't know how you managed the whole a-z thing anyway! That would've killed me to be that consistent. So I can understand a blog slump. Even on my regular family blog I'm in a slump pretty much half of every month.

Precy Larkins said...

You'll get back to it. It's like riding a bicycle (cliche, I know, but true). I took a break after the A-Z challenge. No pressure to blog, no pressure to visit other blogs, except for when I wanted to. And I think it helped me tremendously. I'm still in a semi-hiatus mode--only blogging when I need to, or commenting if something catches my eye.

Nick Wilford said...

I went on holiday towards the end of A-Z and not really got back in the swing of things since I got back... doesn't help that I'm looking for a job now which takes a ton of time, probably more than when you actually have a job. So my brain isn't really focussed on it right now. The only things I want to post are about my holiday and a giveaway and I haven't had time to do them!

Patti said...

That sounds so familiar. I really need to make more of an effort to write everyday. It would probably help me.

Tonja said...

Better to have a blog slump than a novel-writing slump. (Trying to keep my glass half-full.)

prerna pickett said...

I'm slumping a little right now. I just got back to it after a post pregnancy break. I'm starting to get into the groove again, but like you said, it takes a while.

S.P. Bowers said...

Yes, I've been blogged slumped. Um, I'm not sure how (or if) I got out of it. I just kept trying. Usually I think it has more to do with stress or overwork in life and I just don't have anything to spare for blogging. Once I work that out the bogging comes back.

Jenny S. Morris said...

I've totally been blog slumped. LOL. Usually I watch movies or TV and find some tangent to go off on. ;0)

Rob Z Tobor said...

I post on my blog every day, When I start writing sometimes I do not have a clue where I am heading. Just at present I am under pressure with making a sculpture for a show but I always find the first few words I write will make something click in my head, although I have to point out most of what I write is mad rubbish so that makes things a little easier.

Delia said...

What Chantele said.

Daisy Carter said...

I'm with you now! If you figure it out, let me know!

Faith E. Hough said...

Yep, I'm right next to you. All I've been able to blog about in May is book recommendations!

Tara Tyler said...

i've seen several blogged out posts lately!

if i don have a post, i have a file full of random & silly ideas, or i just dont post. after a break, there seems to be more comments =)

and do you know laura bambrey? she recently published a book called 100 post ideas! good timing!

Unknown said...

I get blog slumped every now and then, but not now thankfully. Generally having a couple of really great post ideas helps we get back in the swing. Friendly commenters help too

Golden Eagle said...

Yup. I usually just let myself take a break and read other blog posts for inspiration.

Jessie Humphries said...

Peggy slumped? Yeah right...ur just busy is all.

Trisha said...

Yep, I totally got burned out on the A-Z, and I had most of my posts scheduled ahead of time! I'm back to writing in my blog a few times a week now, and I like it.

Ruth Josse said...

I was blogged-slumped for most of March and April. I go through them every couple months. But it's not like I can ever think of anything to blog about! That's totally normal for me. :)

Hannah Hounshell said...

The only times I've blog-slumped so far are when I'm fighting with a chapter and have nothing new to report. In some small way my blog is kind of a goad for me to keep working at it so I have something to tell folks each sunday.

Of course, when I have nothing new to say and feel like I've been beating my head against a wall...I kind of have to force myself to post. The only other alternative it to hide from the internet until I have better news.

The former is embarrassing, but the latter is definitely not an option.

Still, slumps are normal. Without the low points in life, how would we be able to enjoy the high points?

It's worth a thought, right? :)

E.D. said...

Definitely! I love to write but finding a blog topic is a real challenge every time. And I only blog once a week.

Tracy MacDonald said...

Agh! Totally there with you. The A to Z was fun and inspiring, but I'm wiped and it's been over for 3 weeks! I keep having little starter ideas, but then they kind of go away. I haven't recovered from my slump yet, but hope to soon as those ideas flit back into my head just screaming to be shared in the blogosphere.

Elana Johnson said...

I never have anything to blog about. No joke. It's a constant battle to come up with something that isn't all about me, that isn't all about someone else, and/or that someone will find interesting.

I think it has to do with how much other stuff I have crowding my brain.

Lan said...

I'm in the middle of a very long blog slump at the moment. It's not that I did anything in particular. I guess one day it just happened....Luckily I've picked up more writing during that time but I think maybe I had just run out of ideas and keeping up with the blog and reading other people's posts just got a bit exhausting. Any day now I'll be back with a vengeance. That's what I keep telling myself anyway.

Susanna Leonard Hill said...

A to Z was tough! i got burned out from reading all the posts I didn't even write for it! I'm sure you'll find your groove again in no time, because you're right - it is just like writing - well, technically, it IS writing :) - and you've got that figured out :)

Coleen Patrick said...

I think I'd be burned out too after A-Z! That's a tough challenge!
My blog burn out usually comes in the form of feeling insecure--so I blogged about that! :)

Laura S. said...

LoL, I hear you! I get into blog slumps every now and then. I don't know how I get out of it. I just keep blogging and eventually the slumped feeling goes away! That's how it is with writing, too. I just keep plugging along through the bad days because I know there are good days just around the corner!

Annalisa Crawford said...

I used that phrase too - I forgot how to blog too. I couldn't remember what I used to post about, which is why I gave myself a schedule to follow.

Valerie Hartman said...

Before I even read the comments, I am just going to tell you in my own totally ego-centric way that I bet you wrote this post for me. You missed me! I have sooooo been overloaded and haven't posted since, ah-hem, APRIL! Each time I try, nothing. Nada.

So glad to hear it is not just me. I am determined to post today if only so the month of May can have a lovely (1) next to it and not be skipped for all eternity! I think I can, I think I can! Thanks for the camaraderie!