For some of us, blogging is personal. Others are trying to educate or entertain; many more are hybrids. Yet we’re…
By For some of us, blogging is personal. Others are trying to educate or entertain; many more are hybrids. Yet we’re all storytellers. Writing Challenges help you to push your writing boundaries, show off your blogging chops, and, hopefully, spark more post ideas.
To participate, tag your post with DPchallenge or leave a link to it in the comments. (It would also be great if you could link to this post to encourage people to take part – the more the merrier!) Your post should be specifically written in response to this challenge. We’ll keep an eye on the tag and highlight some of our favorite posts on Freshly Pressed on Friday.
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You’ve got your WordPress.com site and have been lurking here at The Daily Post reading articles, considering the writing and photo challenges. Maybe you’ve been thinking about responding to a Daily Prompt, though perhaps you haven’t been able to fully commit to posting on your site. Reasons to procrastinate proliferate like fruit flies in that pop can you left out on the counter overnight. “I’m too tired!” “I have nothing to say!” and the penultimate excuse, “I have no time!” Well, since we’ve all survived the Mayan Apocalypse, we’ve all got time, and now you can devote some of that time to blogging each day for a whole week. Let’s talk about how.
Jack Cheng is a writer, designer, and entrepreneur from Brooklyn, New York. In his post, 30 Minutes a Day, Jack contends that when trying to learn a new skill, it’s frequency over quantity that matters most:
When trying to develop a new skill, the important thing isn’t how much you do; it’s how often you do it.
Jack advocates building a daily practice. He relates a story about Jerry Seinfeld, and the simple method Jerry uses to avoid procrastination and spend time each day, working on his craft — writing jokes:
When software developer Brad Isaac asked Jerry Seinfeld, who in those days was still a touring comic, what his secret was, he advised Isaac to pick up one of those wall calendars that had the entire year on a single page. To Seinfeld, becoming a better comedian meant writing every day, so each day Jerry worked on his writing, he would put a big red X in the box for that day. Pretty soon, there’d be a chain of red Xs and not breaking the chain became its own motivation.
You might be writing jokes on your blog, or it could be poems, personal reflections, short stories, memoirs, and / or posting photos. Jack suggests that you can achieve any goal you choose if you can devote just 30 minutes a day to it. Is 30 minutes too long, what with child, work, and family commitments? Start with 15 minutes, or even ten minutes. With the new year upon us in a week, now’s the time to resolve to work on your blog and then actually do it!
Your challenge: post every day for a full week. We’re excited to see what you’ll post about — be sure to tag your post DPchallenge so that we can follow your progress. Feeling extra saucy? Write about your experiences overcoming procrastination. The tip or trick that inspired you to consistency might be just the thing to spur a fellow blogger to blow the dust off their blog and get to work.
Definitely a challenge worth taking.
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This couldn’t have come at a better time. I wrote about writing to overcome the inertia of not-writing just last week. Already the “buts” are accumulating in my brain. Hmm, maybe that’s fodder for a blog post.
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You but it is. Whoops, got carried away on the pun there!
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groan…
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And it was. I give you, “Buts.”
http://andreabadgley.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/1708/
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I love these challenges – well written challenges to write. I’m in.
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That’s great to hear!
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My daughter Krista is always after me to write… Great, now there’s two! Thanks, Krista…
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We Kristas like to stick together. Write well, Ted!
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I guess I have read about the challenges enough….time to follow through!
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Here isa post I wrote about getting started-http://good2begone.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/blocked-at-the-go-line/ . Not my post for today but sometimes getting started is the hardest part.
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Maybe the title should be “Just write it.” I wrote that post just over a year ago:
http://the-military-guide.com/2011/12/12/update-to-just-write-it/
Our family mantra is “20 minutes a day”, but we usually get wrapped up in the activity and keep going past 30. Getting started always seems to be the hardest part.
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You’re right, the first steps are often the most difficult. I believe that Newton’s first law of motion applies when we try to create a new habit, be it writing, exercise, you name it: an object in motion stays in motion.
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Thank you Ms Krista, I have been a member for I don’t know how long but I know that procrastination has been my biggest friend for many years. Well not anymore! Just Do It is going to be a statement I will begin my day with. My GOAL is to ‘Just Do It” starting today! I would love to be able to start writing a non fiction book and see it til the day of ocmpletion without procrastination. I am excited to begin a new chapter of my life! How do I TAG my post DPchallenge?
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I take the challenge!! 😀 starting from tomorrow then? or?
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Feel free to start today!
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i just started and i love it
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I’m in! #DPchallenge
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Good article, I will try to get to blogging today.
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I’m down for this! No plans this christmas break so why not. Also, does it start today or tomorrow?
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It’s on! Consider the gauntlet thrown, the challenge issued. Blog away, blog away, blog away, all!
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Awesome. I made one already! haha http://aimango.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/procrastination/
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Okay TY Krista and I know this challenge is for those who have been reluctant to join in the fun we’ve shared all year… I would have loved to add my Monday post on Ping backs: http://eof737.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/on-blogging-are-pingbacks-a-pesky-problem/ as Day 1, but I’ll gladly write another post this evening to join in this fun for a full week. 🙂 I write daily but I don’t post daily… I will this week. 🙂
¸.•*¨*•.♪♫♫♪ 😆 Happy Holidays to You & Yours! 😆 .♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸ ♥
˜”*°•.˜”*°•.˜”*°•.★★.•°*”˜.•°*”˜.•°*”˜” ♥ ˜”*°•.˜”*°•.˜”*°•.★★.•°*”˜.•°*”˜.•°*”˜”
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hey there, great challenge and i accept – this first post shares an exciting opportunity for people to support a great cause as well as get more involved in our lives in the following year: http://brettfish.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/3326
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Reblogged this on Gerry Wilson and commented:
I haven’t posted a Monday Discovery in a while, but here’s an interesting writing challenge from WordPress: to write and post every day for a week! I’m not sure today is the day for me to start (it’s Christmas Eve, after all–there I go, procrastinating), but we’ll see how it goes. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!
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I’m so apt for the challenge. Thanks for sharing.
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I’m game! Will definitely try to mix it up, a story, a reflection, photo’s, try 7 types of posts for 7 days (okay that may be pushing myself a bit too much, lets just start with 7 posts and see what happens!).
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That’s the spirit! Looking forward to seeing the results.
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I am new to this blog! What are the 7 types of posts? How do I TAG my post? I am a loner; therefore, I am going to commit myself to this blog! I have been procrastinating for many many years about my need to write several books. Now is the time ‘Just Do It’! That is going to become my favorite quote!!! Thank you! DPCHALLENGE
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This is a great challenge. I think I do write everyday, sometimes more than once! I don’t really have to think about what to write, it’s more a case of choosing something from the long list of posts I have already committed to writing for my readers … Will probably write a post every day with a different idea every day for how to blog every day! 🙂
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I am just a few days old.. And this challenge sounds amazing!
Sign me up please? 🙂
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I’m game! I said I was going to try and write something everyday next year anyway. But why not start now, especially since I’m on vacation. 😉
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well, it too me more than 30 minutes… about two hours to be exact. but here’s mine:
http://wp.me/p6FwZ-W6
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http://shireensingh.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=100&action=edit&message=6&postpost=v2
I’m so taking up this challenge…maybe i’ll be more regular and in the process, get to read some awesome stuff. 🙂
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http://shireensingh.wordpress.com/?p=100&preview=true Sorry 😐 , sent the wrong link by mistake
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I’ve never run into this site before. just an accident. Thank you WordPress. This is just the thing I need for guidance in writing, Plus, as a photographer, it gives me challenges. Bookmark it I will.
Dallas Photographer Les Wollam
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Reblogged this on Brain&Paper and commented:
Challenge Accepted…
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My post for each day this week starts with http://wp.me/1Ypl6
Happy Christmas to everyone 🙂
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Sometimes when I try to post every day, my writing sounds forced, so I usually avoid it. Still, it’s a good challenge. My last post was on procrastination! Maybe I should spend more time paying attention to what I write 🙂 http://theteentheme.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/procrastination-a-curse-in-disguise/
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I love this challenge 🙂
http://donikabajrami.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/just-do-it/
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Just did my first post for the Challenge! I’ll be sharing an idea every day for how to absolutely, guaranteed, always have something to blog about, even if you only have 15 minutes.
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Sounds like a fun challenge. Here is my post:
http://joec0321.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/what-christmas-means-to-me/
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Direct link to first post with surefire plan #1 for how to have something to write about every single day without even having to think about it – http://tfaswift.com/2012/12/25/just-do-it-part-1/ Plan #2 tomorrow.
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Okay, challenge accepted. One week over the holidays sounds like something I can do. First post coming right up:
http://greenandcleanmylife.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/and-the-trophy-goes-to/
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I post everyday but Saturday’s on food and wine related topics.
http://gourmetvicariously.wordpress.com
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Very excited to see and read some awesome posts on the first day of the challenge. Six more days to go — keep up the amazing work!
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Challenge, accepted!
Numero uno:
http://packyourthoughtsandgo.wordpress.com/2012/12/25/a-time-of-belief/
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