About the Author

But What If I Fail?

Krista M. Doud

As many of my friends and family members know, this is not the first time I’ve attempted to keep a blog. I have tried over the past 5 years or so to focus desperately on my writing. I would come up with plans and schedules, articulated those in my work, and yet it never sticks. I always end up letting it fall to the wayside because, well, life happens.

Those who have seen that trend may wonder why they should jump on board this time. What will make this time different, or how do I know that its not just going to get set aside and become a failure just like all of my other attempts? Well, folks, it may not surprise you to hear that I have a plan–and this time it’s a good one!

1. I’ve planned ahead.

In the past, I have had a bad habit of trying to write every day, or at least consistently. I would write something up immediately, promptly posted it online, and then when the next writing date came I’d repeat the process. This becomes problematic when something comes up and I’m not able to post on a given day; and once you’ve missed one or two, the guilt along with the idea of being a failure take over. It then becomes harder and harder to make that next post, because it feels like people are going to be judging you for not sticking with the plan.

But this time I am working to stay ahead of the game. Although a majority of my posts will probably have a turn around time of just a couple of days–so that I can discuss current events, or let you know about something that’s “trending” that I’m really interested in–I’ve also got a few reserves already typed up which will allow me to have something to post, even if life happens and I’m not able to type something up that day.

2. Accountability

Another fatal flaw in my previous endeavors was the lack of accountability. Sometimes when we forget about something since there is no one there to say, “hey, we gonna do this?” when you do get around to remembering, you think “aww, it’s too late; might as well skip today.” Then there are times where the idea of keeping up with life, work, and writing gets overwhelming, and the best way to avoid being overwhelmed is to cut out the thing that is not a “necessity.”

So this time I have recruited help. I have people who are willing to help with the leg work, as well as discuss ideas, create a schedule, help me stick with the schedule, etc. Having these people will help keep the posting on track, and may even help this blog grow in the long run.

3. A goal

I’ve been working on my book on and off for about a year now, and I would really love to be able to get it published. That is the goal. The blogging, the social media, the writing practice–everything that I’m doing here is to work toward that goal of publishing my book.

Since I’m no longer blogging for the sake of blogging, but blogging with a specific purpose, I’m finding it easier to list blogging as a priority instead of a hobby. Similar to the difference between playing the piano because you feel like it, and practicing the piano because you have a big recital coming up next month.

Thank you for being willing to give this one more go with me. With a little luck and quite a bit of work, I think we can make a go of this!

What keeps you on track and motivated to keep posting in your blog or on social media platforms? How do you manage when time gets away from you, or things don’t go as originally planned? All suggestions are welcome and appreciated!

15 thoughts on “But What If I Fail?”

  1. I’ve been blogging for over four years now, and honestly, I think the secret is to sit down and write a post on a schedule, even when you don’t really want to. You’ll get in the habit of posting, and you’ll be fine. Plus, read and comment on the other blogs you like, which will get your name out there. Slowly but surely, you’ll get the readership you want!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. It sounds like you have fresh energy for your blog. I think having a plan is key, so you have that in place already. I started blogging nine years ago, but only blogged a handful of times during the first several years. I lacked direction and I lacked a plan. Once I started an editorial calendar for my blog and settled on just blogging once-a-week, I started enjoying blogging. Now I try to plan my blog topics for months at a time. The first Monday of each month I blog about the books I read the previous month. The other Mondays are flexible. I try to mix things up — writing, reading, sometimes a sample of my writing, sometimes a piece of history. Since the novel I’m writing is set in the Carolinas in 1769/70, I plan to start blogging maybe once-a-month about the history of that place and time. I haven’t planned my topics yet on that, so right now it’s just an idea. When I tried to blog without a plan/editorial calendar, I was always in a panic about what to blog about next. I can’t wait to see what your “new” blog has to offer. In the meantime, have fun in Chicago! Thank you for reading my blog post this week and commenting.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thank you for your comment! I really do think having a plan is going to be the biggest thing keeping me going (what’s the saying? Not having a plan is planning to fail — or something like that). I’m so excited to hear it worked for you!

      Like

      Reply

  4. I’ve started multiple times as well. I’m going to encourage you not to view a stalled blog as a failure in any way. Like you’ve said, “life happens,” and when you come back ’round to a thing like this, you’ve grown in new ways. Quite possibly you’re more apt to do the blog thing now, and it sound like you’ve got a good plan. I’ll be reading right along, and perhaps we can inspire each other to continue. We can support each other’s journeys in developing our voices/skills. I look forward to more stories. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. It’s reassuring to know that I’m not the only one who has life get in the way of my writing. I appreciate your support, and I am happy to help support your journey in any way I can!

      Like

      Reply

  5. Keep going. What I’ve learned most in my fitness journey is that it’s okay to make a mistake, take a break, and just get back to it. Keep moving forward. For times when time gets away from me, I like to search the internet for motivational quotes/pictures, words or something related to why I’m not choosing to post that workout pic for my own accountability today and use that. I would just have writing prompts that you can refer to if needed for an idea or a day to take a break or just as something different.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment