3 Core Components of a Blockbuster Blog

Photo by Katie Killary (click photo for link)Since I recently left my well-established Blogger writing blog to come over here and try to build something more well-rounded on my website, I've been doing a lot of thinking about what my goals are over here. (Okay, actually kidlet woke up at 3am last night and I was up for 2 hours lying in the dark, which led me to thinking about such things.) And this led me to look at some of the most successful blogs out there to determine what makes them so awesome.

Now I could sit here and list at least a hundred things about having a clean web design, about a consistent schedule, about promotion, etc. But I really wanted to look the core components of those blockbuster blogs. And what I discovered was that it had everything to do with what the blog provided to the reader. Duh, right? But here's what I mean...

People Read Blogs for Three Main Reasons

1. To be informed or inspired

We want information and can't seem to get enough of it. If a blog can teach us how to do something, help us fix a problem, or enlighten us on a topic, we will be there. 

2. To be entertained

All that information can be exhausting, so another reason we seek out blogs is because we want to enjoy ourselves and be entertained. If a blog can make us laugh or make us forget about work for a while, it's going to keep us coming back.

3. To connect

All this social networking we do is, at its root, about connecting. And blogs can often provide that as well. This can either be someone trying to connect with the author of the blog (readers wanting to connect with a favorite author, writers wanting to connect with a blogging literary agent, etc.) or it can be readers of the blog connecting with each other in the comments.

Now some blogs focus only on one of these. For instance, there are thousands of blogs giving writing how-to information. Ones that do it in a strict teaching style are focused primarily on INFORMING.  Other sites may only be there to get a laugh. 

And if a site does that one thing REALLY well, they don't need to focus on the other two. You can be a big deal with just one done well. Think Copyblogger for informing and things like Damn You, Autocorrect for entertaining.

But for most of us, building that kind of site and following are a little unrealistic. We're writers. Our goal is to write and publish books, not to be professional bloggers. We can build a nice, healthy following. I managed to do it with Fiction Groupie even though I was an unpublished writer with no platform to speak of when I started it.

(Though, one can argue that if my goal was to reach beyond my peer group of writers, then I probably was unsuccessful. It was a writing blog for writers. I don't regret that. The people I've met and the network I'm now a part of are the best rewards. However, I am making an effort to expand my range of topics these days so that non-writing readers can also find something worthwhile here.)

But if you're trying to build a blog that will have an active and engaged following, then perhaps look at ways that you can tap into all three components above. Think of the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books site. She INFORMS by providing honest book reviews, she ENTERTAINS because she's damn funny, and she helps readers CONNECT with each other via the comments and their shared interests of romance novels.  It's a winning recipe.

 

So I'm taking a hard look at this new bloggy home and wondering where I can improve in these three areas. I'm always most comfortable with the informing thing. That's my comfort zone. And I hopefully manage to be entertaining at times, though I can always improve on that.

And connecting...well, that has dropped off a bit, unfortunately. I used to have a thriving comments section at Fiction Groupie, but when things got busier and I wasn't able to respond to all comments every day and wasn't able to visit other blogs and comment regularly, that community aspect dropped off a bit. Now I find myself doing the community thing more on Twitter. I'm not sure how to fix that here as I think commenting is a dying art across the blogosphere. But we'll see.

I have no notions of becoming a blockbuster blogger, but a healthy blog is a happy blog. : )

So think of the blogs that you return to consistently--what are things that keep you coming back? Which of the three areas are those blogs focusing on? And what do you think you do best on your own blog? What do you think you can improve?

Fill Me In Friday - Best Writing Links of the Week

Photo by Son of Groucho
  

Had a busy week? Need to catch up on all the great bloggy stuff you missed? Well, that's what I do here every Friday. : ) Best links served up fresh!

(Sorry, sometimes I have the unfortunate need to sound like a midnight infomercial.)

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On Writing and Publishing:

25 Reasons That Writers Are Bug-F**k Nuts - Chuck Wendig (who always manages to make me actually LOL)

7 Free E-Books for Writers | Jane Friedman

Susan Kaye Quinn, Young Adult Author: How Many Book Sales Equals "Success"?

The self-epublishing bubble | Ewan Morrison | Books | guardian.co.uk

Doubt Demons | GENREALITY

How to Return to Writing After a Long Break | Nathan Bransford, Author

Scrivener: 3 Reasons You Should Use It For Your Book | The Creative Penn

Reader Shaming | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books 

Why I Stopped Looking At The Numbers | SHELLI JOHNSON

Let's Talk About Rejection - Elana Johnson

R-E-S-P-E-C-T isn’t FREE!!! « Kristen Lamb's Blog

On Social Media and Platform Building:

The art of being an introvert creative (forced to cope with social media) | Justine Musk

Maria Zannini: Who's Reading Your Blog?

The Mysterious Facebook Author Page | Katie Ganshert

My Name Is Not Bob: 25 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic

AuthorCulture: Is Your Author Photo Sending the Right Message?

10 Ways to Improve Your “Likability Quotient” « Kristen Lamb's Blog

13 Steps to Being the Worst Blogger on the Planet : @ProBlogger

Why Your Google+ Profile Matters - GalleyCat

Anne R. Allen's Blog: How to Blog Part III: What Should You Blog About?

The Bookshelf Muse: Creating An Author Platform That Sticks

Write Tip: How Not To Use The 9 Free Ways To Market Your Book | Bryan Thomas Sch...

For Gits and Shiggles:

Lady Boner Killer - Autocorrects and Texting Fails: AutoCoWrecks.com

“Where’s Your Mother?” … and 13 Other Things I Think When My Kid’s Having a Tantrum

Social Media Explained – Possibly by a Dog [Infographic] - SocialTimes.com

Want A More Intense, Intimate & Fulfilling Sex Life? [EXPERT] | Ande Lyons  <--Proof that reading erotic romance is good for your health. :)

What You May Have Missed Here:

Made of Win Monday: Shows That Bring You Back

Boyfriend of the Week: Jude Law

5 Muse Abusers: How To Protect Your Creative Flow

The Hubs:

So I made the joke that I was answering no more interview questions this month and hubs was taking over the duties. Well, two lovely bloggers took me up on that.  So check out my hubby's first interview at Amy Beth's Blog where somehow air guitars, 600 dollar phone calls, yoga, and Katy Perry are mentioned. Oh, and it's hubs' birthday too, so go give him some comment love. ;) 

All right, that's what I've got from the last two weeks. What are some of your favorite links recently?

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5 Muse Abusers: How To Protect Your Creative Flow

Photo by CortneeB (click pic for link)

So January was one of the most exciting months I've ever had because my debut came out. Having a dream come true is pretty surreal. But January also turned out to be a tough month because beyond going through the  The 5 Emotional Stages of a Book Launch , I found myself with writer's block.

Now, many will say writer's block doesn't exist. It's just fear or your subconscious telling you that you've made a wrong turn. Yes, maybe. Any mine was probably a little of both, but that didn't make it any less real, lol. I have a book due in March and literally had a month where I didn't move forward more than one chapter--scary stuff.

Thankfully, *knocks on wood* I've seemed to moved past it over the last week and a half. I'm getting about 1k a day in, which is not going to break any speed records, but is steadily moving forward. I'm a little past 50k with the goal of a 90k-100k book by the end of March.

But anyway, this has me looking back at January and wondering what went wrong. Why did I get so blocked? One of the reasons is because I'd hit the middle and I tend to get stuck at the halfway point in every book, but what made this block so long?

And I realized I pretty much beat the ever-loving crap out of my muse in January. Our creativity is a lovely, strange thing filled with ideas as fragile as soap bubbles. We have to guard it, feed it, and cultivate it if we want it to continue to serve us. 

But there are parts of this writer life that can stomp on that lovely, fragile thing and drain it. And launching a book happens to involve a lot of these. 

So what are the muse abusers and what can you do about them?

1. Negative feedback 

This one is a catch-22 because we need feedback and solid critiques to grow as writers. We need other eyes to give us unbiased opinions. However, that negativity can also stifle our creativity. It pushes in those ugly things like self-doubt and insecurity. Maybe I can't write. Maybe I should give up now. This is unfixable. I'm a hack.

What to do: Get yourself critique partners that know how to give constructive feedback. Not just--I hate this or this totally doesn't work--but people who have the ability to tell you why it doesn't work (i.e. your character is not sympathetic or this creates a plot hole.) If you're in a group where people get mean or sarcastic, leave it. That's not helpful. And if you're published, stop reading the bad reviews. This is a lesson I had to learn the hard way last month. When you read reviews like "at least she can spell" (yeah, that was one of mine), your muse pretty much flips you off and tells you it refuses to work in a hostile work environment.

2. Sucking your muse dry

We're supposed to blog and tweet and write guest posts and newsletter articles and and and... Well, all those things take some level of creativity. Now, I've been writing a blog post every weekday for almost three years. That hasn't hurt my muse because it sort of acts like my "morning pages" where I get the brain in gear. BUT, last month when I kept up my normal blogging plus added 1-2 guests posts daily Well, that drained me. I'd finish the second or third blog post that day then open my WIP and stare. I'd used all my words and energy already on something else.

What to do: Find the balance that works for you. If blogging daily effects your writing, cut back. Do Anne R. Allen's once-a-week slow blogging. Writing has to come first. And if you're releasing a book, plan ahead for your blog tour. Stockpile guests posts when you're not actively drafting a project. 

3. Scaring the life out of your muse

Putting pressure on your creativity can work in one of two ways. Some people thrive on that pressure--a tight deadline gets their juices flowing. Others (like me), it works the opposite. Here's my brain: Oh shit, this book is due in two months and if I can't write such and such words each day, I'm going to FAIL. And what if this book isn't as good as the others? And what if I let those people who love this character down with his story? And what if this is the first time I can't finish a book? *taps forehead* Yep, it's a scary place in there. Needless to say, all those thoughts left my muse cowering in a corner.

What to do: Be aware of the pressures, then ignore them. Pretend like you're writing for fun only. Worrying isn't going to get anything accomplished; it will just make things worse. And remember that you will hate every book you write at some point. In every book you'll think--this isn't good enough, this is never going to work, I hate these characters and this was a stupid idea. It will pass.

4. Trying to please everyone

I'm a people pleaser by nature. I want everyone to like me even when I know that's not a realistic goal. And that sentiment applies to my books. But if I try to hold in my head "I hope my agent, editor, every reader on the planet loves this", I only overwhelm myself and my muse. Look at reviews on any book and you'll see opposing viewpoints. I've gotten everything from "this is so mild it shouldn't be called erotic" to "this is the hottest book I've ever read." Luckily most reviews fall on the latter, but it just shows that everyone is coming at your book with a different pespective.

What to do: Write for YOU first. Draft the story that you want to read. These are your characters in a world you created. What do you want to see happen next? Worry about your editor and your ideal reader when you're revising.

5. Starving your muse

Sometimes we get so focused on getting the writing done, that we forget to feed our creativity. We expect the well to keep producing without us replenishing it. And I know I'm guilty of this. I get obsessed with "working" and I feel like I don't deserve a break because I have so much to do.

What to do: Take time out to refill the well. Read for pleasure. Take a walk. Go somewhere other than your laptop. People watch. See a movie. Play with your kids. Take a few hours with the sole purpose of getting nothing accomplished. Inspiration doesn't take kindly to demands, let it out to play sometimes.

Now we'll see if I'm able to take my advice the next time around, lol. 

So how about you? Have you experienced writer's block? Has your muse ever flipped you off and taken a vacation to Aruba? What do you do to nurture your creativity?

Big Changes Coming

Photo by Matt Brown

This blog has almost hit its one year anniversary, and I think it's finally time to make this my true home. For almost three years, I've been blogging 3-5 times a week at my writer's blog, Fiction Groupie. I've documented everything--finishing my first book, my first attempt at querying, my first experiences with rejection. I've shared my journey from "aspiring" author to agented writer to published author. I've tried to share what I've learned along the way as well.  (If you want to see the culmination of 3 years of writing blogs, check out my For Writers tab above where I have a new Writer Resource Page with all of Fiction Groupie's most popular articles divided by topic.)

And I plan to continue to talk about writing. But splitting my time between two blogs has become cumbersome. I've neglected this blog because there simply isn't enough time for both. But here is the place I want to be long term, on my own site not on a blogger blog. So I'm going to wrap up Fiction Groupie next week and then start blogging full time here--4-5 days a week.

Boyfriend of the Week will stay, but now there will be a lot more content each week.

Here is my tentative schedule:

• Monday: Made of Win Monday - where I share simple things to brighten dark Mondays
• Tuesday: Boyfriend of the Week
• Wednesday: Writer Wednesday
• Thursday: Books/Film/Flex Day - No theme so it may be an update on my 50/50 challenge, it may be a guest post, it could be anything.
• Friday: Fill Me In Friday - This is the regular Fiction Groupie links round up of the best posts I've run across that week.

I hope you'll stick around for the new format. And if you're not already a subscriber or you're a Fiction Groupie follower, I'd love for you to hang out, too. You can sign up for the RSS feed here or you can get posts delivered to your inbox (just enter you email address in the box to the right that says "Or Via Email".

Have a great day!

A #SixSunday Excerpt from Grant's Story

Today I'm sharing a snippet from my current work in progress, book 3 in The Loving on the Edge series. Grant is the owner of the BDSM retreat (The Ranch) that plays a prominent role in my books.

EXCERPT from Book 3 (untitled) (Copyright 2011, Roni Loren, All Rights Reserved, The Berkley Publishing Group)

Setup: Grant's in a honky-tonk bar trying to track down the heroine and some guy bumps into him and tries to pick a fight.

This is why he avoided places like this. There was always some jerkoff trying to impress a woman by looking like a badass. He’d love to see a guy like this try to survive one night at The Ranch. The submissives would smell that false bravado from a mile away, and the Dommes would line up to cure him of it.

Grant tipped the brim of his hat up and looked down at the guy. “You say something, hoss?”

Thanks for reading! And if you want to check out the other Six Sentence Sunday entries, check out the great list of writers here.