Every year, it seems my allergies are just getting worse. Though, we recently published an article about how allergy seasons are getting more potent and lasting longer thanks to increased temperatures in various regions. Still, I hate trying to write a best seller when it feels like my eyes are on fire and itch something fierce.
Still, I managed to get a few things done this week despite the increase in client work and fighting the pollen count. Though, I am not even close to my goals for my Summer of Writing. There are just too many things going on that I have little control over. But I'm going to keep trying to get more done.
Had a Micro-burst of Traffic on Monday
On Monday, the WriterSanctuary blog had its best day yet in terms of visitors. It seemed there was a mad rush for people in the US to Google "Textbroker," the platform that got me into professional writing in the first place. And I have a lot of content for that system.
Anyway, the blog, YouTube channel, and even AdSense had a short bump in traffic. Usually when this happens, it is because of a bot slamming up against the homepage or some other piece of content. This time, after going through a lot of data, it was from real people. I don't know why everyone decided to search for it on Monday, but here we are.
Using Google Trends to find patterns or topical interests can help you create valuable content. The hardest part is making sure that content gets out in a timely fashion. You never know when that trend will dissipate. In my case, it only lasted two days. Then, everything went back to normal.
Giving Hemingway a Try
I gave the Hemingway App a try the other day. It was something a viewer brought up a while ago, and I finally got around to remembering to check it out. Being a free system, it's not entirely without its possibilities.
I'm not sure how much I'll use it for larger projects. It lacks a spellcheck feature, which doesn't really bother me all that much because I have the Grammarly Chrome Extension installed. You can't save or export a file through the web-based app, which discourages me from using it for larger pieces. Though, I can see it being useful when doing shorter projects, such as writing the next episode of Despair or perhaps working on my book chapter at a time.
I do like how it will analyze your writing in real-time and give you a few suggestions on how to improve readability. But like all automated platforms, you need to be wary. Nothing is 100% accurate, and some of the nuances and styles you use in your writing may trigger Hemingway.
Tried the BMC "Podcast" Tool Yesterday
Recently, Buy Me a Coffee released its beta version of a podcast tool. This is so you can add more types of content for your supporters to enjoy. Unfortunately, my first trial of the recording option backfired. The page crashed...pretty hard.
It is a beta, after all.
Still, it's something I might add to members-only content, providing BMC hammers out the little glitches here and there. And I found plenty, to be sure.
Tweaking Despair Before Recording Today
Speaking of Hemingway and Despair, I am going to polish up the next episode before recording it today. With any luck, the next episode of my audiobook on YouTube will be available Saturday night at 6:00 pm Mountain Time.
If I can get a good flow going next week, I should be able to get Despair back on a regular routine. Though, I say that every week...and every week, something sidetracks me.
Trying to balance blogs, videos, books, and clients is a major pain in the ass, most of the time. It seems lately that everyone wants a piece of me, and I'm running out of slices to hand out. All I can really do is keep trying to balance it all, or else drop something. I'm not too fond of that idea, but it's getting more difficult to maintain all of the things I want to do.
Crossing My Fingers for Less Chaos Next Week
My life has been exceptionally chaotic for the last few decades. I'm hoping that things are starting to settle a bit so I can get some quality work done on my next book. According to my clients, though, it looks like I might get a two-week breather before ramping it up again. So, I'll try to make the most out of the rest of June.
Now, it'll come down to actually remembering to do some of the things I want to do. And that's perhaps one of my biggest downfalls. Maybe I just have too much going on at once, or perhaps I'm just getting older. Or, more likely, it's a mixture of both.
I need a vacation.