Although it’s not over yet, the people at the WordPress Daily Post blog are encouraging participants in 2011′s Post a Day challenge to look back and think about their daily blogging over the past year. So, here are my answers to their questions:
1. Why did you start the Post a Day/Week Challenge?
Erm, I can’t actually remember. I think I wrote about it at the time, though. Let’s see…Oh, yes. I needed to be more self disciplined. I still do.
2. Describe the state of your blog at the time you started the challenge.
Well, it was OK. A bit boring and pointless, but not a complete disaster.
3. How did your blog evolve over the course of the challenge?
I posted a lot more (obviously), I gained some new followers (more than I expected to), more people I know in real life started to read my blog (maybe because I started talking about it more), my blog has had a lot more views this year than it has done in all the previous years of its life, I started participating in photo challenges so I’ve posted a lot more photos this year (mainly because it’s easier than thinking of something to write about, but also because I really like taking photos).
4. Did you post as often as you had hoped? Why or why not?
So far (there are still two more days of 2011 to go!) I’ve posted something for every day of the year. Some of the posts have had to be written in advance and scheduled to be posted if I’ve been away, but I’ve posted something for each day.
5. What type of blogging strategy works best for you?
Not sure that I have a strategy, other than to sit down at the computer and hope. Unsurprisingly, this doesn’t work very well and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone as a strategy. I do, very occasionally, write posts by hand and then do a final draft later, but usually only when I think I have something important and worthwhile to say, which isn’t very often (as you can probably tell). I probably write better posts earlier in the day.
6. If you could go back to the beginning, what would you do differently?
Tried to think of topics in advance and write some drafts, or at least notes, more often.
7. What are you most proud of accomplishing this year?
Blog-wise or otherwise? Blog-wise, posting something for every day so far. Otherwise, behaving like an adult at work (once or twice), and taking better photographs.
8. Name 3 great blogs you discovered through the challenge.
I’m afraid I haven’t discovered any new blogs specifically through the challenge (probably because I’m anti-social and not very good at visiting other people’s blogs), but 3 great blogs I’ve discovered this year by other means are:
Little London Observationist
Needled
Angry Pear
9. What surprised you about the challenge?
Nothing, really. Sorry!
10. What advice would you give to others who want to blog regularly?
Do some sort of planning.
11. What are your blogging goals for 2012?
I haven’t decided yet. I’ve thought about various things, from giving it up entirely to undertaking another Post a Day-type challenge. I suppose my goal with anything (if I do it at all) is to do it better.
