First things first, I apologize about the seriously slow speed of my blog lately. I know many of you have tried to leave comments only to have the site time out. Well, I have good news! I am in the process of changing servers which should speed things up dramatically and allow your comments to go through without a hitch. I hope to have this change completed within the next day or two, so cross your fingers for a smooth transition. I really appreciate your patience! I know a slow website is beyond annoying.
On to lunch!
Wheat Berry Salad
Lunch today was seriously fantastic and I owe all the credit to blog reader Chelsa. Her comment on my breakfast post over the weekend about my wheat berry yogurt bowl inspired this beauty:
Chelsa said, “ My mom makes this AWESOME wheat berry salad that includes: Wheat berries (of course), tomatoes (or red peppers if you want it to stay crisp), mozzarella cheese cubes, feta cheese, green olives, artichoke hearts, green onions, tofu, and balsamic dressing. You can add and subtract as you like, but I TOTALLY suggest making it sometime.”
And make it I did!
I changed around some of Chelsa’s recommendations to make a wheat berry salad that included:
- Wheat berries
- Plum tomatoes
- Roasted asparagus
- Artichoke hearts
- Feta cheese
- Green onions
- Green olives
- Balsamic dressing
This will definitely be featured on the blog again. I loved all of the different flavors and textures!
Now moving onto some blog talk!
Brainstorming Blogging Topics
One of the best things about blogging is that you can post about whatever you want. In the beginning, I almost felt like my blog had to touch only on the things within my specific blogging niche, like food and fitness. I didn’t want to seem juvenile if I posted about The Bachelorette or celebrity gossip and I didn’t want to appear too serious or mundane by posting about issues that seriously lit a fire inside me like the Comparison Trap.
And then it hit me: Those things are what make me me. I like talking about The Bachelorette. I could talk for hours about the Comparison Trap and the struggle we all face with our self esteem.
If I didn’t talk about these things, my blog would fade into darkness and become simply a hollow version of me. A generic healthy living blog without the passion of a person behind it. I can’t write for hours and hours about my chicken sausage. I ate it, it was good and I am done with it. Once I stopped worrying about what other people thought about my blog and made sure my blog stayed true to me and the things I love and enjoy talking about, my love for blogging grew tenfold. I didn’t feel restricted. I felt free and ebullient. I had a million things to say.
People often ask me how I come up with something to post three times a day. Honestly, most of the time I have too much to say and have to scale it back. My brain works at a mile a minute when I’m blogging and I’ll often find a blog post taking a new direction unexpectedly and will have to save the newly evolved topic for my next blog post.
But sometimes I do hit a blank and don’t know what to post about. What about those times?
A few months ago, I purchased a notebook that I call my “blog notebook.” Around the time that I started thinking about leaving my full-time job to pursue a career in freelance writing and blogging, I began to fill up my notebook with all of the ideas inside my head. The page in my notebook that is now the most full? My “Must Post” page.
Every time I am hit with a blog post idea and don’t have time to delve into the subject as elaborately or intricately as I’d like to, I write the idea down in my notebook. Every time I receive an email from a reader with a blog post request, I add it to the list.
I now have a list of about 30 post ideas that are burning a hole in my notebook dying to be addressed. The “Must Post” page of my blogging notebook is my most valuable resource on days when my blogging creativity hits a lull and I find myself thinking, “What in the world should I write about today?”
Other possible ways to get the creative juices flowing:
- Think about the last conversation you had with a friend or significant other where you couldn’t stop talking or laughing. Turn it in to a blog post!
- Browse the internet and write about a recent article you read that sparked your interest.
- Put a call out on Twitter for any post requests from your friends, family or readers.
- Don’t post until you feel inspired. Sometimes taking some time away from blogging is a fantastic thing. It can really rejuvenate your mind and motivation… kind of like a week away from the gym!
Questions of the Afternoon
- If you are a blogger, how to you think of blog post topics?
- Blog readers, what are your favorite things to read about on blogs?
P.S. The Fashion page was updated this afternoon!
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wow these are alll great tips and ideas Julie!!! I agree about staying away from blogging also. 😀 Did you used to go through bluehost?
yes. AWFUL. i hope to be done w/ them ASAP.
I am so glad that you do post about topics that are important to you as you said otherwise it wouldn’t be YOUR blog.
I definitely occasionally find myself comparing my blog and topics to others but then I snap back and remmeber that I should write about what’s going on with me nad the topics I am most passionate about! 🙂
I have to limit what I talk about because I have too many ideas and want to share alllll of them! I have only been blogging about a month though, so I suppose that will change!
I like blogging about happy stuff. Sure, darker posts are interesting and sometimes inspirational to readers, but they can be such downers!
I’m like you where I always have too much to talk about and keep a running tally I can turn to when I can’t think of something. Those ideas come from simply living life and things that spark me. Or where my mind wanders when working out.
Thank you so much for these great ideas. I have a gratitude journal that I sometimes write blog ideas in but I should get another one just for blogging. Have a great day!
I feel the same way as you. In real life, i’m not the biggest talker in a group, but when I blog, I feel like i cannot shut up! I always have to scale back to make sure i’m not writing a novel with each post. 🙂
As a new blogger, I can relate to trying to decide what to post to have my “blogging identity”. I have a lot to say but I don’t want to go off on tangents that may be different than what people want to read about or what people expect from my blog.
I do essentially the same thing, although I’m not as organized as to have a notebook full of ideas. I just create draft posts in WordPress with the blog title I’m thinking of any jot any bullet points I might want to cover in the body. Then I have a little list of topics to pick from if I’m ever struggling for something to write about!
And I can totally sympathize with the idea of not being sure if I should post something — will it make me look shallow? Immature? Will it make me look like I take myself too seriously? Etc, etc. But inevitably I always push the “publish” button because more than anything, I write my blog for me. 🙂
I try to put a lot of “me” into my posts, to keep it from being a generic “healthy living” blog, like you said. I’m so glad you wrote this though, because I need to keep in mind that if I want to write about things like the Bachelorette, I can & I should! (Three cheers & a high five for Bently being gone!).
Currently, I love reading about running tips because I started about 2 months ago. Otherwise, I’m pretty good with whatever the blogger decides to write. I follow their blog for a reason and they never fail to disappoint!
Gray ideas! I keep a running list of blog ideas too. I just wish I had more time to tackle them. Between a baby on the way, my vizsla child, running a company and running our home, things are pretty busy 🙂
My blog is mostly about food, but sometimes I just have to veer off topic. Whenever I do that I try to mention something about food, whether it be a comparison, a picture of my meal, or something I’m looking to try. Not everything has to be in your niche, but making playful puns when you veer outside your niche is one of my favorite things to do to ‘keep it all together’
As a blogger, I sometimes struggle with post topics. Often I only write when I feel inspired or want to share something. This year I had the resolution to post at least once a week and have found that some weeks a just posted something so that I kept up with my resolution. I didn’t always love the posts I wrote. Now that I’m done with school (yay!), I’m spending more time being thoughtful with what I’m posting and how my blog is being presented. I love your idea notebook! I may have to steal that idea for myself.
I love wheat berry salad (savory), but have never tried them in a yogurt bowl – grand idea! I keep my blog 99% food related.
Such a cute notebook! When I have an idea, I write it down or blog it up right away.
Yeah that’s a question I often ask myself when I read your blog, how does she find the time to write all this? You’re an inspiration!
For my topics, I find that life is just so funny- it never gets boring and there is always something to write about! But what I struggle with is whether to post something or not, so your post today reminded me to stay true to myself!
I don’t have a notebook, but I do keep a running list of topics too.
Love your blog!!!!!! I am always excited to see when you’ve posted something new.
What a great idea!
I often have the phenomenon where I won’t know what to write for a few days so the blog will have a couple of days off. Then once something hits me I think of 2-3 or even 4 topics I could write on and often forget or don’t get around to 1 or 2 of them.
I tend to keep a post-it icon on my computer but that doesn’t carry with me throughout the day.
And I totally agree… its the little things that make a blogger fun to read, the things that tip you off to his or her personality.
Honestly I do kind of the same thing — I have a running list of things to write about if I never know what to write about — but usually something happens that day to blog about, so I haven’t made much progress on my list!
Even though I don’t watch The Bach, I appreciate that you write about them — it shows you have interests beyond food and exercise!
I find the most interesting reads are someone’s real life and interests. Otherwise, it comes across too forced and fake. I’m not reading a blog for a fiction novel. I like the down and dirty, honest truth!
I think being true to yourself is important and actually leads to a better post. Sometimes I still feel like I’m forcing some of my posts and writing what I think people want to hear and it’s just unnatural.
I’m constantly learning everyday to just go with it, have fun and be myself – those are the posts that often come together the best and are me!
Currently, I have a private blog, only seen by my friends and family. I have a vision though of creating a (yet another) healthy-living blog and taking it public one day. My main concern is a fear of losing all privacy and potential safety issues.
Can anyone give me feedback on these issues?
And any crazy stalker stories out there??
I think your tips are great, especially for those struggling to find their niche. Sometimes I think I’m being TOO personal with my blog, like including a bunch of pictures of my friends and family, though I have their permission, and also pictures of people from work… I don’t like to mix them, since my friends and I are crazy and for work I need to be more…simmered 🙂
Anyway, I think you should always just write what YOU would want to read! Which I think you have said before, actually… but recipes = boring. Real life = SUPER FUN.
That salad looks amazing!
I am a lot less organized about it…but I think that really reflects me as a person 🙂 in other words, and totally NOT organized!
I just sort of post what is of interest to me that day/week, but try to keep in mind that not everyone wants to hear about the boring little details of my life. Gotta make sure it’s interesting for someone other than me! 🙂
Thatagirl, Chels!! (biggest fan 🙂 )
As a blogger, I usually just write about whatever’s on my mind when I sit in front of the computer. My passion is food and running, so I always share what I eat and my exercises. But I’ll also include something else. I’ll blog about books I’ve recently read, articles I read somewhere on the Internet, and other details going on in my life. That’s what makes blogging so fun!
I JUST wrote a blog post about this. I am struggling to find my voice and can feel myself trying to be “cheeky” for the audience vs just writing what I want. So, my new goal for my blog is to discover my true voice! Thanks for writing this!
I’m a newbie blogger, and it’s hard to find what I actually want to write about. I’m working on it though!
Great post. Love the wheatberry salad idea and the Blog idea journal. 🙂
I definetly agree that when I start to post sometimes by conversation takes a complete 180* turn… this is how I get some of my best posts!
Great blogging tips! I might just have to start my own blogging journal! 😀
Um, I just write about chocolate. Which, I never have a shortage of. I have it easy.
That salad looks awesome! I am going to make it right away too!
I have a notebook too that I write down topic ideas or I start a blog post with a title and a few sentences….let’s just say I have quite a few “drafts” ready!
I like reading posts that teach me things or even if I learn one little new fact (even if its celebrity gossip! which I love) versus posts that are just about what someone did that day.
I love to read about others struggles and triumphs over these struggles. I like to write about whatever my mind is focused on the most (if I can publicly write about it). I also LOVE to write about food. 🙂
I have a blog “notebook” too — it is SO helpful!!
I just tweeted this morning about how I feel I’ve lost my blogging “mojo” recently….my life is kind of in a weird stage right now and it’s hard to find stuff to talk about!! I love looking for inspiration on Twitter, though. This community always comes up with the funniest things to talk about there!!
you’re right, it’s kinda find having to find a “blog identity” whenever I have an idea I am texting Jamie (my blog partner in crime) almost immediately and then we go from there!
Great post and such great advice…I need to keep a little notebook in my purse! 🙂
I usually blog about whatever’s going on with me. What I’m making, what I’m reading, where I’m going, what I’m wearing. I also get inspiration from other bloggers. I’ve been known to steal ideas!
Sometimes I think I have more “Drafts” than posts because if an interesting idea strikes, I have to write it down. Sometimes I’ll pull it back later when I need an idea or can expand upon it more!
awesome tips! For me, it’s about posting about things within my day, questions I’ve thought of like “How do you cut a mango?”, or things my friends and I have talked about. I have an idea I’m going to live out next week (can’t share yet) and I’m super excited. I think blogging is about taking an idea and running with it. I also think it’s about being honest, as I think readers are looking for someone they are relate to.
I have a blogging journal too…well, it is an index card notebook and I just randomly write down things that strike me.
I post about my life, my experiences as a mother and vegan recipes. I find if I am truly stuck, I go to a recipe post. I have been blogging for almost 2 months now, and I haven’t run dry yet!
As a blog reader, I like stories that have pictures in it, and everyday life observations. It makes you feel like you know the reader.
-Katie
Hey Julie!
I find that when I write my posts how I would normally talk (sometimes being a goof and such), I’m happier with my blog.
I feel like I write my thoughts like I would say them… real, honest and just like I’m chatting with a girlfriend.
I think the best advice is to just be YOU!
I keep a list on my Blackberry of future post topics, that way whenever the inspiration stikes I can quickly make a reminder for days when I can’t think of a post topic!
I’m glad you liked the salad!
I have been thinking about starting a blog for a while. Now that I have summer break, I may just have to act on the idea! Your tips will for sure help!
These are great tips! I totally agree with you on the voice thing. I work in marketing and we are constantly trying to stay on-brand and on-voice, so I relayed this to my blog. I was feeling like it was too restrictive because I was creating this online persona that wasn’t really me. I find being yourself makes it so much easier to write posts.
I have a notebook too! and a draft folder with any ideas or even partial ideas =) When i’m super inspired i’ll write several and save them for those “rainy days” where i’m having brain farts. haha! <3
Julie!
Thanks for posting about blogging! It was such a useful read for me, as a blogger who is only on day 2 of her blog! I can use all the suggestions I can get! You are always so helpful for other bloggers, a true inspiration!
-Claire (Navigating North)
I LOVE the idea of a blogging notebook! Never know when those ideas will pop up.
Sometimes blog ideas just pop into my head, and I write them down too!
I think it’s most important that you just blog about what you want! Because I believe readers can tell if your topics aren’t genuine, or if you’re trying too hard… That being said, I think you do a great job of thinking of new creative blog topics, and it’s always a fun read! 🙂
I also agree that It’s good to take breaks sometimes when you feel ‘blogged out’! I take my breaks all the time, maybe a bit too often! 😉