How many of you have made a resolution to blog more often in 2013? Raise your hands. Go ahead, don’t be shy. We can’t see you anyway.
I admit it: I’m raising my hand. Sheepishly.
I haven’t posted here in just over a month and I’m starting to get anxious. Too many ideas are jostling around in the brain and not enough writing has been happening to give those ideas any direction. It’s getting crowded in there. Something’s got to give.
Granted, I’ve had my reasons. The end of the semester is always hectic, but couple that with the holidays and it’s positively crazy-making. On Christmas day, I started coughing. The next morning, I woke up feeling quite convinced that I’d been run over by a steamroller. For the first time in many years, I fell victim to the flu. It took me 2 weeks to stop sounding like a frog or walk down a hallway without getting winded and dizzy and needing a rest.
Winter breaks flies by far too quickly.
The new year came and I enjoyed a brief period of time during which I didn’t have to work, but finally felt good enough that I could do some things out of the house. I wasn’t ready to turn the brain back on. I have a hard enough to get it to slow down, so when it finally does, I like to enjoy the respite from the swirling.
Last week it was time to get ready for the new semester, which started yesterday. I’m teaching my two normal writing classes, and taking two more Paralegal courses. On Friday afternoons, I’ll be learning about the computer applications that are regularly used in law offices.
But I get to start the week with a course on legal research and writing. I’m chomping on the bit after this one. How can I not be? I’ve always loved research, and the chance to focus on writing is a great opportunity to get me back into a routine. My creaky fingers will stretch out and fly over a keyboard again.
It’s somewhat counter-intuitive to say that more writing homework will motivate me to write more regularly here at As a Linguist, but I do believe it’s already starting to come back to me. See, I’ve already taken steps to put myself back into more of a blogging state of mind.
On the first of the year, I started a Project 365 Photo-a-Day challenge over at my “upstate cabin,” Modern Day Dinosaur. I will post a picture every day for the entirety of 2013. I’m not writing the kind of essays I like to post here, but the consistency of publishing has helped me figure out how to budget more time for writing.
In the meantime, I’ve been gathering some ideas for new Linguist material and am planning to go live with it soon, so stay tuned for that.
And those of you who haven’t already, also come visit me at Dinosaur; come see the pictures I take when language alone just isn’t quite enough.
It’s a cold and gorgeous winter around here these days.
As a Linguist... 
I love Dinosaur and the 365 challenge. :)
Sorry to hear you got the flu. It’s been nasty this year. While I haven’t had it myself a couple of my circus performers have and that ended up bogging me down. (Taz thought Lysol was called Wise Balls).
I wanted to resolve to blog more in 2013 but I was afraid it would be setting myself up to fail. The Circus has been WAY different since the big kids became…well…so big and busy. But I’m hanging in there! I figure any bit of blogging is better than none. :)
I was chuckling about Wise Balls all day long!
Two blogs and four kids – I can’t imagine how you do it! Since I entered the “blogosphere,” I’ve seen a few people stop writing. I understand it – obviously, life gets in the way (unless blogging is your life and/or a source of income…) – but I don’t ever want to just fizzle out. If I find myself losing steam in a more permanent way rather than just a slump, then I’ll make a clean cut. But I still like it too much to give it up. I just need breaks.
And yes, a little of your blogging is a lot better than none of your blogging :) I’m always inspired by your Health Bent posts.
No, I don’t think you – or any blogger- should stress about posting. If you’ve got something to say, and the time to say it, great. If not, why worry? I do think it shows when bloggers post because they feel they OUGHT to. We’re not jobbing hacks on a newspaper. We have the luxury of choice. I love both your blogs, and I have been missing your ‘Linguist’ postings. But I’ve coped ;)
I know what you mean – those who post because the “rule” is to post 2-3 times a week so you can get more traffic, maintain something else, yadda yadda…
I’m not a person who will get really into something for a while, but then find something else to take my attention and drop the previous interest. I do have several different areas that I am very interested in and my attention sort of rotates. I’ve been getting a little distracted by my new paralegal training, and then I started taking my cameras out again, and I’m taking that legal writing class this semester, so both of those activities are bringing me back to blogging. Now, I’ve got ideas to write about but I feel…rusty. But I’ll get there :) Thanks for sticking with me!
I’d tell you I am in a similar situation, Leonore, but you already know that fact. I am nodding my head in – I don’t know, agreement? encouragement? empathy? All three are accurate.
It’s kind of like how we need sleep to recharge, or a little time with bad television after a long day at work. Even C3P0 had to shut down sometimes! We’ve still got plenty to write about, but the ideas need calm soil for sprouting.
With handy services like subscribing and using Google Reader, we don’t have to go looking daily at every blog in case a favourite blogger has finally posted something new. By using those features, I take the pressure off you, a favourite blogger. So post in your own time and I will read. I learned during the past year that I don’t want to be obligated to blog, so I did not resolve to blog more!