Where and When Do You Blog?

Published

April 4, 2013

14 Comments

This one is for the writers out there.

People, obviously, are incredibly diverse and this affects our workflows. I write at different times and in different places than you do and you’ll do it differently than the next person. But one of the beauties of doing things differently is that we can learn from each other. We can take someone else’s way of doing things, tweak it slightly and make it our own.

I want to know when and where you blog and why you do it that way. I want to learn something from you all. I’ll start and hopefully you can learn something from me.

Where?

I blog from one of two places: my office or my kitchen table. In fact I’m writing this very post from my kitchen table. There is something about these two places that just work for me.

The main reason, I believe, is that there aren’t any distractions in these two places.

My office is quiet and private and believe it or not, so is my kitchen table. It certainly helps that my wife is at work and that we don’t have any munchkins running around.

Once one of those two things change I’m sure the kitchen table will become a less desirable blogging locale.

I’ve tried blogging from the coffe shop but I find it incredibly distracting for blogging. I can read there no problem. I can even write for my job while I’m there but for some reason when I want to blog at the coffee shop I suddenly become aware of every possible distraction in the whole store.

When?

I tend to blog the best in the afternoon to late evening. Generally in between 4pm and 1am. I just checked the clock, 4:22pm, I’m in the zone.

I cannot blog in the morning, trust me, I’ve tried. I can hardly walk straight, so trying to form coherent sentences early on in the day is a no-no for me. I can’t blog after lunch either, can you say food coma? I’ve found that I’m at my best in the afternoon and evening. I think quicker, I process better and I have the energy to write.

I’ve also found that I have more time during these periods to think. I’m not at work, so that isn’t occupying my mind. I’ve had time to wind down from the day.

Often I’ll be in bed thinking and an idea for a blog post will develop. I’ll hop out of bed, grab my MacBook Air, head to the kitchen table and crank the post out before I forget what I want to say.

I’m a big proponent of blogging when and where you are at your best. Obviously, we can’t always be in our special place. Life happens. But the more we can find the times and places within which we operate the best, the better off our blogs will be.

Your turn. What times and places do find the best for your blogging workflow? What hasn’t worked for you?

There are 14 comments

April 4, 2013 #

Eric Dye

For me, blogging/writing is a frame of mind. It’s something that’s ALWAYS happening. Some of my best post ideas came to me while I was doing things like the dishes and shaving.

Otherwise, I’m tied to my desk. I like to be at full attention. 🙂
- April 4, 2013 #
  
  Louie Sison
  
  I agree with you Eric. Sometimes, great ideas puff in the most unlikely place and time. However not all the time with me. Just like Cam, I have to be in the zone (in my own house office).
  
  By the way, nice office table Cam!
  
  All the best to you guys,
  
  Louie Sison
  - April 4, 2013 #
    
    Cam Brennan
    
    Thanks Louie! I got it for free, bonus!
April 4, 2013 #

Danny De los Reyes

I love writing early in the morning. If that’s not possible, then I write at night. Usually at my desk at home, but I also enjoy going to coffee shops and pretending that others are doing the same 🙂
April 4, 2013 #

Chris Wiegman

Lately, I haven’t been able to find my zone. It’s something that is so important and can really throw off a blogger/designer/developer/etc.

This to me goes right in line with the whole work from home concept and helps explain, at least in part, the success of companies like Automattic in contrast to the mediocrity or outright failure of so many business models that don’t embrace the ability to work in the manner which is most effective for each employee.
- April 4, 2013 #
  
  Cam Brennan
  
  I’ve recently been encouraged to get out of the office more and I can’t tell you what a relief that has been. Wishing you a hasty return to finding your zone Chris. Hang in there dude!
April 4, 2013 #

Julie

I wrote a blog post last year about the geography of writing, which is kind of what you’re talking about here. I’ve always been intrigued by the effect that where we write affects how and what we write, or how we handle a topic, even if we aren’t aware of it.

I tend to choose similar places (home, or office) as you describe because of distraction issues. I have noticed that when I write someplace like a coffee shop, a library, or even at a friend’s table that I am not as familiar with, the writing changes slightly. That can be good or bad, depending on what you’re writing and what you want the result to be.

Coffee shops, I’ve discovered, are great places to find a voice for stories. The stuff people do and say around you go from distraction to inspiration. On a tech blog, though, it is probably less helpful.

Just some thoughts.
- April 4, 2013 #
  
  Cam Brennan
  
  I appreciated your blog post, definitely some ideas to consider there. The idea about writers block being associated with a location is very intriguing. Might need to find a few new writing spots!
April 4, 2013 #

ThatGuyKC

I’m typically at the kitchen table as well, but either late at night or early in the morning when everyone else is in bed. I’ll draft stuff on the bus, but my favorite place is a quiet 1-person conference room at the office during my lunch break. Just me, the computer, a desk and 4 walls. No phone, no interruptions.
- April 4, 2013 #
  
  Cam Brennan
  
  That little conference room sounds ideal for capturing ideas or executing on old ones. I’m a little jealous!
April 6, 2013 #

Teressa Morris

I’ve been on the road a lot lately, so mostly blogging from a motel room bed or my in-laws’ kitchen table. But when I’m home I blog from my easy chair in front of the (horrors!) TV. I’m very ADD, so having multiple things going on in the background is how I gain clarity, at least that’s what I tell my family 😉

I generally blog in the evenings and always try to finish by midnight if possible. I do a lot of promotional work and “hustling” in the mornings and afternoons and have recorded some podcast interviews from the bedroom (with a “do not disturb” sign on the door), but my easy chair is my favorite place to blog.
April 8, 2013 #

Dave Clements

I write from just about anywhere. I’ve blogged on the beach, in bed, at work, crossing the street. The biggest obstacle is churning out the whole article is one go and avoiding having to stop and continue writing later. Then there’s no flow and the article is choppy. Time of day doesn’t seem to much matter to me either: just getting it out in one shot.
April 11, 2013 #

Scott Wyden Kivowitz

I find that I blog the best when sitting in my office listening to iTunes on shuffle. However, sometimes it’s nice to have a change of scenery. I also find that when I do go to a different place I get a spark of some awesome blog content to pump out. Maybe it’s the chaos of a coffee shop or just not sitting my office 🙂

Because blogging is what I do on a daily basis, I’m typically doing it between 7am and 4pm but every so often I get inspired in the middle of the night.
April 12, 2013 #

Amanda

I usually blog from my desk or my bed. Sometimes I blog outside using my phone, but that’s only good for jotting down a few quick thoughts and maybe a picture. I blog (and do everything else) best from about 2PM onwards. I’m not a morning person at all, and sitting down to write is not the first thing I do every morning.

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