Getting down with the blog 2-step

Happy Friday!

Someone recently remarked how difficult it must be to write five days a week. It’s very easy some days, not so easy on others. 

I was about three months into Just Wright Citrus before the thought came that I’d be writing 700 words five days a week for the rest of my natural life. I recall it being overwhelming, almost depressing. What happens if I don’t feel like writing, or nothing comes to mind?

---

Suck it up, buttercup. That’s what happens.

So, I had to find a rhythm. Something where each day’s blog has purpose and significance. That meant a balance in the writing process.

— The work week starts Sunday afternoon. By the end of Thursday I need to have a decent plan for the Monday blog. It often changes in scope in the days in between, but getting to 4 p.m. Sunday with no plan for Monday is a very, very bad place for me to be.

So bad that I’ve made it a priority to avoid it. Writing on Sunday is challenging, but I really need to be at the computer no later than 3 p.m., and be in a writing mindset. I like the blog posted and finished for the night by 7.

While I don’t necessarily have a theme week (I tried writing a series once — total flop), I do want to get everyone’s week off to a nice start. Monday usually isn’t the best-read blog of the week or even the most interesting topic. I rarely go too deep on Monday. We’re all wiping the weekend sleep from our eyes. I get it.

As for this Monday, it’s the first day of ballot qualifying. I managed to go this entire week without a single political blog, so just know I’ll be slobbering all over local politics. Consider yourself warned.

— Monday for Tuesday feels more like a normal work day. It’s usually my easiest day of the week, actually. Now that I’m requesting weekly commission emails again, they usually arrive on Monday. Sometimes I’ll see something that provides an instant blog; more often, I store stuff away for later.

This is another day I try to finish up by 7 p.m. I know Tuesday and Wednesday are coming.

— Tuesday-for-Wednesday and Wednesday-for-Thursday are similar. If life is good, and it’s been really good lately, I have a bounty of timely blog topics to pour into your smartphone. Many Cattle Dog chats are Tuesday and Wednesday. Government meetings are those days. Blog tips from numerous helpful readers roll in all week, but especially Tuesday and Wednesday. They are the most intense days of the week. 

They’re also late nights. I’m rarely finished by 8 p.m. on Tuesday or Wednesday. I’ve occasionally posted close to midnight. They’re blogs that require the most scrutiny. I read and re-read them. 

(Plus, I’m usually in church on Wednesday evening. I finish the blog before leaving at 6:30, it’s read by a friend by the time I’m home at 9 — and then I often do a total rewrite because of something that came to mind during the service. That’s fun.)

— Thursday. Well, as you can see from today’s blog, by Thursday I’m wiped out. I try not to do any heavy lifting in Friday’s blog, or get too serious. 

I also need to pick my spots to take a breath. I always say that twice a year, County Commission meetings end at 3 p.m. and twice a year they’ll end at 9 p.m. I don’t feel guilty about the early days and don’t complain about the late ones.

Citrus County politics are about to go into overdrive. Next Friday we’ll know who’s on the ballot. Then it’s an 8-week sprint to the start of primary early voting.

(Just glancing at my calendar…events every day next week.)

I know politics isn’t everyone’s game, but it’s mine. I gotta be alert and on point. Distractions are EVERYWHERE, and they’ll only get worse.

So, I’ll be taking my Friday off. Unless something happens…

— Now. About today’s photo. It is the true Citrus Countian, well deserving of a Just Wright Citrus T-shirt, who can tell us the location where I’m standing.  

Have an eye-opening weekend, friends.

Join the discussion on our Facebook page.

Enjoying the blog? Please consider supporting it at Venmo, PayPal, or Patreon.