Blog Day Planner

The daffodils are in bloom so that has got to be a sure sign that spring is finally enduring. Yeah! I’m so relieved to be finished with all those blizzards and hail storms but I’m not sure if the high winds are finished for this season. I know the rain has just begun, and in some parts of the country, that is a good thing because certain states really need the water levels to rise.

Either way, I’m ready to start this week off running like the title of this post says. There is a lot of catch up on my to do list. So swing the flags and signal the take off, here I go. Are you ready to play catch up on all those belated spring tasks that you put off?

My goal for this week first and foremost is to achieve the number of posts per blog for all my major blogs, domain blogs and Entrecard listed blogs. That is a total of 12 blogs so let’s do the run down on totals then I can zero in on the particulars.

The main blogs are Mountain Spirit Productions, The Midnight Writer, Blog Day Planner, The Midnight Writers Journal, The Midnight Writer’s Freelance Quest, The Midnight Writers Cafe, The Midnight Writers Secret Portal, Keep It Simple, The Making of a Walking, One Tin Soldier, and Midnight Revelry. Now that’s quite a line up.

Do you have more than one blog? Are you ready to set weekly goals for number of posts to write per week?

This is the first step in organizing your work week if you are a freelance writer to help set the intention and focus for your work week. It is so easy to let it get away from you, I know. There are more tasks than planning and writing involved in the freelance blogging business, as you probably know. I am involved in social networking, ghost blogging, writing on client’s blogs and writing content so I have more than my blogs to schedule in to the day planner. However, this area is the crux of my personal network so I need to build it.

Are you a blogger for fun or profit? Do you maintain more than one blog? Would you share some of your ideas on blog management and advertising and how you come up with ideas for your posts? I would love to have some guest writers on here to share with my readers. If you are interested, just email themidnightwriter1@gmail.com

and I’ll send you an invitation.

In the interest of sticking to my motto “Keep It Simple”, I’ll finish by listing the weekly line up for posts. At the end of the week, I’ll do my best to come back and review how you and I did. You will have to send me your comments in order to participate in this one.

Mountain Spirit Productions- it’s the domain blog and host for all of our network for the Midnight Writer- goal is 5 posts this week. I’m basing the 5 posts on a Monday through Friday schedule.

The Midnight Writer org – a main domain blog. Goal 5 posts.

Blog Day Planner – the second main domain blog. Goal 5.

The Midnight Writer’s Journal – this one is way behind. 5 posts with two reviews on the Midnight Special Spotlight.

The Midnight Writer’s Freelance Quest- 5 posts

The Midnight Writer’s Cafe - my Smorty blog- aiming for page rank and pages cached – 7 posts

Keep It Simple – 3 posts with follow up on previous posts.

Midnight Revelry- 3 posts and a review on Blog Day Planner. Buy the domain this week by Friday.

The Midnight Writer’s Secret Portal – 3 posts with a review on Blog Day Planner.

The Midnight Writers Blogs- 10 posts to update reviews and progress reports on all blogs and to publish news on our network and social networking. Two posts about affiliate marketing and a sponsor.

One Tin Soldier – 5 posts with rainbow gathering updates and follow up on some of our story lines.

The Making of a Walking- 3 – update the legal files for the rainbow gatherings and our quest in preserving our rights.

If you are following any of these blogs on Entrecard, you will be able to track the progress because you’ll notice the new posts every day when you click on the widget. That should make you smile. I know I click on blogs hoping to see something new.

This brings the total to 59 posts and that is a lot of work.

The Midnight Writer

Technorati Tags: blogging,freelance writing,goals,intentions,running

As noted in my focus sheet for November, I/you need to increase blog performance. This is an intentional act, not a passive one as I have learned in November. I allowed other events to hinder this blog’s progress. Now that is not a failure, rather it is a learning point.

How did you do in this intention for November?

Did you meet your daily or weekly blog posting goals?

What are your plans for this month?

Post your feedback right here, on Blog Day Planner, and please remember to include a link back to one of your blogs or articles or one of your websites.

And please give Blog Day Planner a link back from your blog. The most frequent comments with links back to my site will receive a feature spot in the sidebar of this blog for an entire month. This contest will feature ten winners.

What should I do this month?

Reset the intention to increase blog performance.

What does that mean exactly, when I say “increase blog performance”?

The Midnight Writer

Cephas and I want to add a little fun and interaction to our blogs. Coming up with ideas is not a challenge. Deciding which ideas to implement, how to present those ideas, and on which blogs to use them is the challenging part.

Here is one idea that we thought would be fun to implement as a test run of the whole concept of special blog interaction special features.

For those who read our blogs, you know that we travel extensively. Due to our travels, we thought it would be fun to feature a "Where are we now?" and let our readers enter locations based on clues of our whereabouts. It's kind of like "Where's Waldo?"

Anyway, I am into feedback on this one. Give me a few days to develop this idea then I'll post the complete information and instructions on how to play "Where are we now?"

And why should this matter to you? Why would you want to play this game?

Because it will be chock full of goodies and blogging awards, like cool blog awards and reciprocal links, some free advertising on our sites. You get the idea.

Remember, it's all about you, and your ranking in the blogosphere in the wide world of cyber action.

If you are interested in playing the game, yet to be named, leave a comment below or email themidnightwriter1@gmail.com.

Day Two for my Blog Day Planner begins with the sight of Starbucks and the pleasant aroma of fresh brewed coffee. After two hours work, I added a scrumptous pastry on the side to go with a coffee refill. MMMmmm....Delicious.

Staying true to the intention of the Blog Day Planner, I have reviewed yesterday's work list. Thoroughly enjoying this project, I am contemplating what needs a follow up and what projects to attempt for today.







Keep a follow up memo section or create it as a list. Each day should contain such list to ensure that each assignment or project gets the proper follow through. If records are kept it will be easier to make assessments for next phases of all projects or work assignments.

1. Review yesterday's list.


2. Check freelance and blogging emails for updates or job offers.


3. Make business phone calls relevant to internet work.


4. Study Scriptlance, which is a new freelance job opportunity site that I joined just a few days ago. Scriptlance also has an affiliate marketing program which I also joined. My affiliate url is in the text codes highlighted above.


5. Load the Scriptlance banner into three more blog sites as a sidebar widget.


6. Apply for two job offers through Scriptlance.


7. Edit the first blog post at Blog Day Planner.


8. Edit my profile to fine tune it for a portfolio and resume. Include experience, writing style, references and examples of my work in the profile.


9. Write a post on 1TinSoldier. Edit the sidebar ads and include a link to Blog Day Planner in my link section.


10. Write a post about Scriptlance on one blog. Include affiliate text links.


11. Write a debut article for new blogs on some other blogs. Be sure to introduce Dear Diary, Daily Blog Life, Midnight Velocity, Midnight Revelry, Lost At Sea.


12. Add text links for other personal blogs and websites and for my affiliate programs into one article on five blogs today.


13. Create two articles using top keywords with hyperlinks to my affiliate programs.


14. Create one new blog today.


15. Write an article on Dear Diary.


16. Create a list of names and ideas for ten niche blogs. This should be repeated once a month.


17. Develop an outline for two niche blogs.


18. Update my website, change the profile, and add writing links and samples.


19. Create a static page for Blog Day Planner with the introduction appearing at the beginning.

If you're not too tired from last night's Flashdance, then consider a walk in the scenic outdoors and enjoy the fall leaves turning. The crisp night air might inspire some Harvest stories.

See you tomorrow for a follow up on today's work. Meanwhile, happy blogging and freelance writing.

The Midnight Writer

Follow Up

In checking my emails, I found a message from Freelance Writers Info in response to an application that I filed just three days ago on September 27th. The company sent me a file titled "Writers Pack" zipped neatly as an attachment. Unfortunately for me, I don 't have compatible software loaded on my computer to open and read the file.

The good news is that posting my portfolio on some Freelance Writng job sites is receiving a fast response. I am interested in studying the trend to see what can be learned that might help other freelance writers and bloggers.

From what I can gather, I am considered to be a hired writer for this company. The message reads, "Many thanks for your kind enquiry and welcome to the Delegate2 group of writers."

Follow List:

1. Download software to read multiple word files.

The path to becoming a professional blogger or freelance writer is paved with paper remnants of many lists, ideas and thoughts. This brainstorming frenzy ends up in the trash can as accumulated scraps of paper that is soon forgotten. All the effort that produced those original ideas is forgotten along with the scrap pile.

Out of necessity, I searched for a better way to organize all this material. The scrap heap is not the place for most good brainstorming ideas. These are treasures and need to be treated as such. The idea of a Blog Day Planner emerged.

With a list like the sample below, it became a daily struggle just to know where to begin.

1. Write ten blog posts on ten different blogs.
2. Load affiliate codes for Amazon in all ten blogs.
3. Edit five blog posts on http://themidnightwriter.squarespace.com/
4. Spellcheck today's blog entries.
5. Advertise on two blog promotion sites.
6. Change the template on my freelance journal.
7. Create domain names for my five new blogs, find a provider, buy the names and set the domain router.
8. Warm up the computer then go for that coffee.
9. Call website host to renew subscription.
10. List ten topics with variety to write about in blogs.
11. Research for today's topics.
12. Check email for freelance and blogging job offers.

Tasks, assignments, lots to remember.

How do you keep it all together as a freelance writer and blogger?

She's A Maniac!!! say my friends.

Take a moment to focus.

Watch the video to see how some people handle their workload.

Keep a Blog Day Planner to Help Stay Focused.

In the planning stages, I realized that I needed to keep all the information from lists, thoughts, ideas, projects, appointments, finances in one place online.

Keep in mind that your day planner blog can be set to private.

Everything will be at your fingertips online where most freelance writing and blogging takes place.

Voila!

Simplicity!

Turn on the computer.

Brew the coffee.

Open Blog Day Planner.

Review notes from yesterday and formualte the plan for today.

Keep it online and interactive as a reference blog to help focus advertising and marketing.

Use it as a tool for other writers and bloggers.

Brainstorming complete.

Now it's time to act.

I created the blog after several months of thought.

After a good night's sleep, get some exercise and stretch that body. Take in some morning fresh air to clear the cobwebs from your brain. Next, brew your favorite coffee, pull up a comfy chair, turn on the computer and read your Blog Day Planner.

Go over the list of ideas, tasks and assignments, phone calls to make, topics to cover, and all things necessary for today's blogging or freelance writing. As a freelance writer, the day is your own. Remember that focus and organization will keep you motivated to perform your work on a professional level. More will be accomplished to allow time for the other roles in your life.

The sun is shining outside as the afternoon wanes, and it is real tempting to want to turn off the computer and put away those old "dusty" research books that you pulled out of Grandpa's den for that special project. Resist the temptation! Finish the day's work so you will enjoy the rewards awaiting a job well done.

Now put away those slippers and grab those dancing shoes.

Flashdancing is on for tonight!

The Midnight Writer