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Time to answer tough questions from friends and readers.
Jehzeel asked 10 questions. But I only chose four that other readers might be interested to know the answers to as well. Here they are:
How much time do I spend a day blogging?
I have a day job. But I’m free at 6:00 pm onwards. This means I’m free to wreck my sleep patterns – if it’s not already wrecked. I retire at 2 am or 3 am. That translates to more or less 8 hours of daily blogging everyday.
It’s not all about writing – I only write every other day. But I read every day. My reader is close to bursting. Some special people I read via email because I can’t stand my reader anymore.
On the days that I don’t write, I comment on blogs and have fun in Twitter. If I can only understand Plurk, I’d have fun in Plurk too – but obviously, I don’t. I just registered there so nobody can stake a claim on my username.
When I don’t write, I’m in search of what to write next. My conversations with you in chat maybe inane and light but what do you know – they inspire me to jot down blog post ideas.
When I don’t have much to do at work, I sneak in blog reading and commenting and tweeting. Of course – I am not a model employee.
Do you want to die old, or do you want to die young?
I’m relatively old already so I’m bracing myself for old age. And what a fine age it is to grow old. I’d have all day blogging – reading and writing. I’m afraid of diseases, power outages, loss of the senses – anything that will affect blogging.
Am I just writing to exhale? What happens to the inhaling part of it?
Difficult question to answer. Both are automatic human reflexes. But writing to exhale is a metaphor for everything that I try to figure out in my life. We can only divine what’s out there. And what’s in me – the ghosts, the monsters lurking within, the memories that have lives of their own. Will they possess me or will I have dominion over them eventually? That still remains a question.
Am I number 4 (OMG cute)?
Yes, you are – unless the matter gets disputed in the Supreme Court.
Dan Miranda who writes about personal development threatens to cry himself to sleep because he’s not on my Friends page.
Emotional blackmail works with me, too. Dan, hush now, buddy. But the operative word is sometimes. You’re in my list now.
Fifi asked: How to write a post in 30 minutes?
That’s a walk in the park, Fifi. But the condition is that you should have been previously thinking about it the whole day . What goes into it? What’s to be left out? The best headline to hook your readers? The best lead paragraph to get your readers to swallow whole the rest of the post? In short, if you did some pre-writing done in your head before actually writing it, coming up with a post in 30 minutes is a cinch.
Personally, I can’t write that fast. Unless I want to post a laundry list of anything. But who’s going to read a post written in haste? Even I will not read it.
Do I hate you for writing paid posts?
No, I have no feeling about paid posts. It’s uninteresting to me. My heart does not race reading paid posts. Why should I bother when there are lots of lovely reads out there?
That I don’t read them is not a reflection of how I regard you. We are still friends. Maybe when you are done writing about your products then I will find the time to read your posts again.
It can only become sucky when you publish consecutive paid posts. Then I have a problem with that. But do I tell it to your face your posts suck?
No. I don’t have the heart to do that. I’d rather let my absence do the talking.
At the end of the day, I vote with my feet. I go where there’s pleasure to be had. My standards maybe off, but it’s all me. At least, I’m forthright about it.
To sum it up, there’s a place for paid posts in blogs. You have every right to do that. I will not begrudge you that right.
Please don’t assume that because we are friends I’d just suddenly go gaga over paid posts. Please don’t assume that just because we’re friends you now have a say on what’s on my reading list.
You do not.
But you can argue all you want and I will listen. It doesn’t look like I am listening, but I do. I really do.
Do I Hate You for Writing About Naruto?
No. Just like paid posts – I have no feelings about Naruto. Posts about Naruto bore me especially when you talk about them endlessly. But it’s your call – it’s your blog anyway.
A good friend suggested I had to edit the reference to Naruto in my post, How Do You Tell a Blogging Buddy His Style Sucks. For crying out loud, why? So I’d get myself a nomination from this uber blogger?
No way, Jose.
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{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
Am I the first commenter?….Retiring at 2am or 3am definitely means you’re a blog addict. Anyway a bit off topic, Do you have other blogs or you just own one blog?
JDSalinger´s last blog ..What are the things you need to have an edge in blogging?
Kyle! You’re first. Ahahaha. From one addict to another, you and me. May isa pang extra domain ako eh – jangeronimo.com. I’m still thinking what to put there. So I have this and that inactive one. Pero I’d cook up something for that blog. Sayang ang time.
hahahaha! thanks for answering some of my questions. But it’s unfair! You should have answered all my questions. Huhuhuhu.
Jehzeel Laurente´s last blog ..Just Guess and Win A Prize!
I answered the rest of the questions in the previous post, Jehz. In the comment section. Okay, I will figure out a way so that there will be a part 2 to this post.
I too sleep around 2AM. I just can’t sleep without reading new posts from blogs in my Google reader.
“How to write a post in 30 minutes?”
Hmmm interesting. Last time I attempted doing this one, I ended up with a grocery list.
With paid and Naruto like posts, it’s the blogger’s prerogative. Personally, if it entertains people and give them revenue, then it’s good. We all have our reasons on why we blog. Some of us our entertainers and some are good hosts with a nice living room. Maybe it’s more of an online principle. This is one of the things I love about the social web, it gives us the freedom to choose. And I chose to be social. You’re social too Jan!
Rob Angeles´s last blog ..Helpful Tips To Become The Next Superstar Blogger
I’m not above doing paid posts, Rob. Or pushing for products that I believe will be helpful for me and my readers. I’d be promoting Thesis and an e-book soon. I need to earn something for the upkeep of this blog if nothing else. And I will do that so I can keep on blogging. So it’s not as if I’m this uber perfect blogger who doesn’t do ads here. Ahahaha. Because I will. Let’s see if I will lose readers over that.
Exciting! Can’t wait to see your eBook! I was hoping if we can write one in the future. The only thing I have in my blog is one affiliate marketing and my blog in the Amazon Kindle, that’s it!
“Let’s see if I will lose readers over that.”
I think as long as it doesn’t distract them or annoys their reading mood.
Rob Angeles´s last blog ..Why Businesses Out There Should Consider Using Twitter
woow! you are really into blogging with your free time, before i also sleep when 2am ticks but now, i got this a lot of load on my job, so purely im into sleeping with this past few months, i only do blogging with 2-4 hours a day, but weekends, i tell you, i start wednesday night and only stop friday night
Mars´s last blog ..Blographics’ 9 steps Tutorial
We are possessed, Mars. Do you think there’s still hope for our situation? Do we even feel the need to be cured of this malady? Should we have our heads examined? Ahahaha. Thank you for dropping by. Appreciate it.
We operate with a similar time-table Jan. Work, blog, and then sleep a little. The following day, the cycle starts again.
Jena Isle´s last blog ..Find Peace Through Inner Healing
they say that good writers are those who are able to write their stories or articles in a way that these can easily be read and understood by their readers. 2-4 hours for a post? well your posts appear so effortlessly written, that must explain why. that makes writing a post in 30 minutes a wishful thinking!
i could spend more than 8 hours of being online reading blogs and making comments but i’d feel guilty doing that right now.
oh, that qualification of being cute, how does that work?
fifi´s last blog ..winning a freebie online for the first time
cute blogger? hmmm…a blogger should better ask hi/her mother this question, wahahaha
elmot´s last blog ..The Quickieblogger.com or the Superveryhandsomeblogger.com?
Constant writing contributes a lot to effortless writing. You need to do a lot of those – to make it seem like breathing. You don’t tell yourself, “Oh boy, I need to breathe now.” You just do it. Instinctively.
OMG cute? Oh that’s – a bomb? Something for readers to get excited over. An ammo for readers who want to work themselves into a fury every now and then: “You’re too shallow. What has cuteness got to do with your list. Are you crazy?”
Clearly, my subterfuge doesn’t work. All it ever does is to send readers to go check their vanity mirror. Ahahaha.
hahaha!
it never occurred to me
“what happened to inhale?” lol
Roy´s last blog ..Join Fatherlyours contest and win an Islander Sandals!
I would have registered writingtoinhale, but it brings up a nasty mental picture of boys inhaling rugby. Ahahaha.
adiK! ahahaha! oo nga naman, pangit… ang exhale hindi naman ung may TB? ehehe…
feeling well today? di ka nagkaflu?
elmot´s last blog ..Who is the Emerging Influential Blogger? Poof!
Felt well when I woke this morning. Must be the lack of sleep. And the round trip travel.
i can’t imagine how you do that, may lahi kabang aswang…or teleport your way from mindoro to qc and back…
i hope it will not take its toll on you bro
elmot´s last blog ..Who is the Emerging Influential Blogger? Poof!
hahha!
confronting all the ghosts in your blog bro? ahaha! love this one!
i was looking for some exciting comments here but i think it is not yet around. i am pretty confident though that your blog would weather another d-day – it has a built-in shield for bombs anyway.
naruto? ahhaha!
ei, cute? ahaha….you have one hell deep voice over the phone eh?
elmot´s last blog ..Who is the Emerging Influential Blogger? Poof!
It’s a lull before the storm maybe? What does Pag-asa say?
Hmmm. My voice – do you think I can do podcasting? I was with a bevy of sales ladies when I made that call. So I had no choice – I had to modulate my screechy voice.
Pag-asa said that we will have scattered rainfall today and expect some sunshine, ehehe! i guess, that says it all.
you could do well on a podcast bro…but i assure you that you are not the late Kuya Ceasar type of dzmm ehehhe!
elmot´s last blog ..Who is the Emerging Influential Blogger? Poof!
You’ve got the sexier voice, Elmot. Good for podcasting. Yun sa akin pang barangay tanod voice. Ahahaha
ahhahah! our dean here in the school, calls me joe d’mango whenever i lead the novena here in our university chapel…and another dean calls me the voice behind natl geograhic… no, not those roaring beasts ehehhe.
elmot´s last blog ..Who is the Emerging Influential Blogger? Poof!
ser jan hindi ako maka relate kay naruto at sakura kasi hindi ako mahilig sa anime pero kilala ko naman sila. interesting din yung tanong kung gusto mo bang ma dedbol ng bata o matanda? ako kahi tano basta alam kong nagampanan ko na ang responsibilidad sa pamilya! nako e kasi naman ang kwento ng buhay ko kakaiba. haha. ayoko na ikwento at ikaw ang bida dito kasi bahay mo to haha alangan sumawsaw ako bossing hahaha. hindi ako makarelate sa paid post, nako si dioniscio pa e number 1 mangmang ako sa mga ganyan hehe. kung anu pa man e blog lang ng blog kahit na ba walang magbasa ng mga sinusulat natin. e kung sa iyon ba ang nasa puso mo bakit di mo isisigaw at iwawagayway sa mundo e
ingat!
Hi Dencios: Sa paid posts kasi puede kang kumita. I’m not closing doors on paid posts because I’d be recommending products din anytime soon. But when I do that sana you tell me pag over the top ako. Baka I’d be doing something in a manner na nakakainis na pala. It’s good to get feedback always… Don’t worry, I’m a good listener. I love stories.
a ok. nako ang tanga ko talaga haha.
di ko man lang naisip na paid yun from the word itself na nga
hahaha
ok ito ha! astig.
I’ll take that as a compliment, Adrian. Thanks.
@elmot: Ei, Joe D Mango, can I get some advice on how to be cool? And there’s this pesky love problem I have? Do you have some time for this listener’s unrequited love stories? Ahahaha. Feeling!
Hello Jan,
Now I’m feeling guilty about my comment that you have turned into a post. I should have re-written it when you emailed me. It was done without extensive preparation ( while I was commenting.) Anyway, it’s water under the bridge now. (frowning).
There are some paid posts which are very well written, you wouldn’t know it was a paid post, not until you notice the link at the end of the post.
I made a flash fiction out of a paid post and it even won at WOOF. (Am I boasting? oops)
But you’re right, at Gewgaw, I had only written 3 paid posts there, as I could not reconcile the genre of my blog with the type of ads.
In my other blogs, it is easier to write paid ads, as they are not creative writing blogs.
Jena Isle´s last blog ..Find Peace Through Inner Healing
There are some paid posts which are very well written, you wouldn’t know it was a paid post, not until you notice the link at the end of the post.
I agree with Jena! it’s actually the link the sponsors are after, not the entire post (though some really require a review). some opps (as what we call it) are too hard to pass because you know that sooner or later, you’ll write about it.
ceblogger´s last blog ..Not In My Blogroll
i agree with jena too! it is how the blogger wrote the article that could make you read it till the end part without knowing that it is a paid post actually.
it is just a matter of creativity on the part of the blogger *wink*
elmot´s last blog ..Dont’ Vote on May 2010!!! No To Con-A** Holes!
i love Naruto. got hooked on the series bought from the pirates. i wish english versions are available.
i miss the “you got paid” emails. i wrote paid posts two weeks ago, almost after a year of ignoring the writing opps. but those were in my blogspots.
i wish i can go back to those days wherein i can write 2 0r 3 posts a week for all of my blogs. i have at least 5 unposted drafts in my hard disk.
ceblogger´s last blog ..Not In My Blogroll
You know novz, my colleagues at work also loved it and they even discussed it as if the person existed in this real world. I just kept quiet and did my own thing because like Jan, I didn’t understand what they were talking about.
i’m a fan of japanese anime, and i’ve not outgrown this. i may miss the latest of the series but i’ll have a copy soon. perhaps next year. haha.
to post about naruto is ones passion put into the blog to draw traffic from search engines and of course, draw readership from naruto fans. let’s not forget the money that goes with the traffic since that little devil is one of the most searched in the internet.
ceblogger´s last blog ..Not In My Blogroll
naku. ceb. lagot ka kay chairman edu nyan, hilig mo pala sa pirata ah eheheh! joke lg…
elmot´s last blog ..Know the Origin of A(N1H1)
naruto never caught my interest as well as paid posts so we pretty much have the same opinion about them. and how i wish i could produce a beautifully written post like you do in 30 minutes!
Badong´s last blog ..On Having Mild ADHD
I was reminded of the time when my infolinks were getting into your system… haha!
and you even commented in ‘purong Tagalog’ to see how it fared with your comment
Roy´s last blog ..We should be proud of our heroes
OK so you go to sleep at around 2 to 3am. That’s too early! Hahaha, at least for me, here. Paid post and Naruto? For Naruto, I can not comment on, I simply do not bother, but that’s me.
With regards to paid posts, I am somewhat in agreement with you. I agree if the blogger successively writes paid posts. It is boring and one can easily see that it is not his/her style. If it only where something related to their niche and will actually bring value, it is okay. Take me, I blog about “Business Online” and yet I have done one paid post. Can you guess which one of them is that? I hope not:)
Loose readers with ads? In your case Jan, I don’t think so. As a matter of fact, some ads make the blogs appearance much livelier with colors and stuff:). Ads are only annoying if there is no content. That my friend you have a lot to give..
DiTesco´s last blog ..Using Bing Webmaster Center Tools
“What happens to the inhaling part of it?” This one concerns me most. Sana walang masyadong usok na papasok pa diyan. Hindi sa nakikialam si Manang, worried lang. “,)
Some of your answers are contradictory heheh, don’t ask me which won’t tell you anyway.lol
notice anything?
brag´s last blog ..The Beach experience