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!

My husband complained to me the other day, “I’m a blogging widow.”

He’s not far off. Every free second I get anymore I’ve got my laptop fired up and I’m in front of it. When he asks what I’m doing I chortle, “Blogging.”

“How can you be blogging? You always say that, but with all the banging you’ve been doing on those keys I’d have expected 50 posts by now.”

At this point I always sigh with exasperation.

“I’m doing blogging stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?” he asks haughtily. (Because he caught on to my insinuating tone that it’s far too advanced for him and his fancy CPA mind to comprehend so I have to put it as simply as possible. Doesn’t get much simpler than “stuff.”)

So I sigh again. (After all, he’s taking away from my blogging time!)

“Blogging is more than just writing posts. I’ve got to visit all the blogs I follow and leave comments. I’ve got to scan my Google alerts and Tweet the links. Oh, and speaking of Twitter, I have to scan all my lists there and see what’s going on and RT or ‘at’ followers in my responses to their Tweets. That can take up a lot of time. Then I have to stop by the Haunt Jaunts Facebook fan page and…”

“Stop right there. I’ve heard enough. That doesn’t sound like ‘blogging’ to me. That sounds like you’re goofing off.”

I release a full on “I’m very annoyed with you now” huff.

“See? That’s why I just say ’stuff.’ You don’t understand that blogging is more than just writing a post. There’s a lot of behind the scenes work.”

“Goofing off.”

This is usually when I’ve had enough. I turn back to my computer and go back to my blogging, wishing he had something to blog about. Then he’d understand.