I learned something the other day from my friend, who also happens to be a journalist, Jade Walker. I was telling her how out of sorts and disorganized I feel, especially when it comes to posting on my SAHW Experiment blog.
Ideas are never a problem. I have no shortage of ideas for either Haunt Jaunts or my newer marriage blog. In fact, I often have way more than my fingers can keep up with.
If I didn’t reread everything over and over maybe I’d go faster. But I inevitably notice mistakes or see tweaks I’d like to make, which makes me think I might be missing something so I read it again.
Jade asked if I had ever considered using an editorial calendar. I use calendars all the time. Not just to schedule what I write, but to look ahead and see if there are any key dates coming up that I could feature something for.
That’s not what she meant. She was talking about what I call theme days. Dedicating one day each week to a particular topic. I sort of do that on HJ.
- I don’t do it every Monday, but when I do I do Movie Mondays.
- Tuesdays I generally try to stick to something travel as part of #traveltuesday on Twitter.
- Wednesdays are Semi-Wordless Wednesdays where I feature photos.
- Fridays are Friday Fun.
I’d also like to do some kind of technology Thursday and focus on different equipment out there, from ghost hunting to photography to neat travel-related gadgets.
I’d also like to do a Feature Friday where I feature various products from Haunt Jaunts Emporium. I haven’t quite gotten my act together to get all that flowing yet though.
Jade suggested it might help me stay on the submitting track for SAHW Experiment if I instituted a routine where I posted certain topics on certain days. It was a good suggestion.
Mostly I just need to get my butt in gear and start posting all the ideas I have. Some are even half written and being held as a draft in my blog’s system. I just need to get ‘em done.
If I only had more time…which if I wasn’t doing all the other stuff I’m doing, if I was only focused on HJ and SAHW, I’d have it. But I’m working on books, doing freelance articles, playing tennis and volleyball several times a week…un, yeah, a schedule might help, but first I’ve got to make time to schedule in making a schedule!
At any rate, it was neat to learn what an editorial calendar is. That Jade is always teaching me new things!
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Tags: blogging, editorial calendar, Haunt Jaunts, organization, SAHW Experiment