A few personal milestones have recently come and gone. In August, I marked a year since my hernia operation by scratching a phantom itch where my belly button used to be. This past Monday, I celebrated two years with my current employer. Today, it’s been two years since I started my blog! While part of me is thrilled to reach these milestones, another is finding it hard to muster continued enthusiasm. I’m sure things will change!
It’s hard to drum up excitement about a missing belly button I never cared for to begin with, and work has been extra challenging lately. That leaves my blog, which I launched on September 5, 2022, to be pleased with. I managed a quick sixteen-day streak of posts before missing one on the 21st, a slip that still haunts me. Still, I’ve posted every day since then. Overall, it’s been a lot of fun! I realized how much work it is to post something substantive every single day on my first blogiversary, but I averaged about a thousand words per entry back then. Editing repurposed posts about courthouses and schools helped free up time to research new topics, which made the process more manageable.
Unfortunately, I’ve run out of older posts to repurpose as I begin my third year of blogging. Now I’m flying blind! Because of that, my average word count per post has dipped from 1,104 in 2022, to 877 in 2023, and now to 650 so far in 2024. I see this as a positive shift: I want my posts to be accessible, and I know not everyone has time to dive into my lengthy musings about an old swimming pool in Maxville or memories of a playground in Muncie. Still, it represents a change in my approach.
Lessons from my first year of blogging have continued to hold true as I start year three. One big takeaway is that I can’t expect myself to create a brand-new, well-researched post from scratch in a single day like I did with my older blogs. I need more time to dig into research, explore topics deeply, and try to craft something truly interesting. Now that I’ve run out of old material to lean on, that lesson is more important than ever.
Something else from my first year of blogging that remains relevant is that I’m only as good as my sources. I’ve always prided myself on my research, but I’ve never claimed to be a journalist. I’ve received a little criticism about the facts I present, but that’s why I always cite my sources. Several professional newspapermen and women I’ve cited have reached out to express their appreciation, and that’s most of the validation I need to know my work is on the right track.
Your reading this also confirms that my approach is working. I’ve learned that people are drawn to content that’s factual, compelling, readable, and sometimes a bit entertaining. While I’ve consciously toned down the entertainment when it risks overshadowing the facts, I’m still amazed by how many people have found this blog, shared memories, or emailed me with interesting tidbits. I’m truly grateful to everyone who reads, subscribes, likes a post, or buys me a coffee.
Many new readers have discovered my blog over the past two months, even as I put in a lot of effort to set it on autopilot for July and August while I focused on another project. To my surprise, the blog attracted more visitors than ever before! By this time last year, about 79,000 people had visited. So far in 2024, more than 91,000 people have stopped by! I credit the increase to search engine referrals, and I’m thrilled to see my work reaching more people across the vast expanse of the internet.
Nevertheless, that sprint to prepare sixty-one days of content in advance was exhausting. Now, I’m back to square one with little in reserve and some critical new health issues to manage. I don’t plan on slowing down my posting schedule, but I’m under pressure to find new topics that also allow me time to focus on my wellbeing. I’m not sure how it will all unfold and I’m hesitant to break my publishing streak, but I hope you’ll bear with me as I figure things out and rebuild my enthusiasm for blogging.
I’m sure I will. After all, today’s a day to celebrate as I mark two years here! Thank you to everyone who’s been part of this journey with me! Starting tomorrow, I’m excited to see how year three unfolds.
Congratulations! I don’t know how you daily posters do it. My one-a-week schedule seems overwhelming to me at times.
When I get short of time, I often think of a story to tell. Those don’t require any research and seem to be as well received as anything else. I’m sure you will land on a solution, whether this or something else.
It’s been a lot of work, happily, but I’m struggling. Your advice is good and I’ll probably put it into practice!
Congratulations on two!
You’re writing about things nobody else is, and you do good research. Do you realize you are now the world’s foremost expert on long-line towers and east-central Indiana schoolhouses and such? Not because you are at the Ph.D. level in any of it, but because you’re out there plugging away and being careful and thoughtful about it.
You don’t actually have to post every day. I know this is the pot calling the kettle black, but when this thing becomes a beast that needs to be fed, back off to 3 days a week for a while to rebuild your strength.
Thanks for the congrats, encouragement, and support! I’ve modeled a lot of my blogging after Down the Rod and I always appreciate hearing from you.
I’m not quite ready to back off from posting every day, but several people now, most of whom are regular, have said they wouldn’t mind.
For what it’s worth, I appreciate that your blog is not called Down the Rod.
Congratulations and happy anniversary!
Thanks, Brandi!