This is the last of a three-part series for blog post ideas, with examples from blogs I enjoy. Click here for ideas 1-10 and here for ideas 11-20.
This is also my 19th and penultimate post in the #30PostsHathSept blog challenge (in which I and several other bloggers committed to writing 20-30 posts—or another goal of our choosing—in the month of September). Tomorrow will be Blog Challenge Celebration Day!
21. Crowdsource: Host a blog carnival.
This idea takes a bit of forethought and planning, but it is an excellent way to connect with other bloggers and add variety to your own blog.
- A blog article that contains links to other articles covering a specific topic. Most blog carnivals are hosted by a rotating list of frequent contributors to the carnival, and serve to both generate new posts by contributors and highlight new bloggers posting matter in that subject area. ~ Wikipedia
Put out a call to other bloggers to submit their own post links on a specific topic, then list the best (or all of them) in a resource post, or plan a more regular carnival in which you rotate hosting with two or three other bloggers. The best example I know of is Joel Friedlander’s monthly “Carnival of the Indies,” in which he features posts on self-publishing.
22. Give us a sneak peek into your daily schedule.
Regular readers here will know that I am a big fan of Cal Newport’s Study Hacks Blog. This week he wrote about “Deep Habits: Three Recent Daily Plans,” in which he shows and explains three different hand-written daily schedules: “My goal in showing the above examples is to demonstrate the mundane reality of daily planning. It’s not a super secret system, and it can be messy (especially if your handwriting is as bad as mine), but it’s still absurdly effective at insuring that at the end of each week you look back and are proud of what you accomplished.”
23. Describe a recent dream (optional: and write a poem about it).
Mary Krawczyk published a delightful post as part of #30PostsHathSept titled “Dreaming that Steven Tyler is my dentist & other sleep problems,” or, as she described it in a Facebook post, “Bizarre dreams and questionable poetry.” If that’s not enough to lure you to her blog, I don’t know what will.
24. Ask your readers to help you make a tough decision.
Author K. M. Weiland, whose blog about writing is always down-to-earth and informative, recently asked her readers to help her choose the cover for her newest book. This idea works for almost anything: What five pantry-items are must-haves for quick meals? What is the best arrangement for living room furniture? What book should you read next?
25. Write about a moment or day or experience that brought unexpected happiness.
One of the joys of this blog challenge has been following my nephew’s study abroad blog, The Cross-Cultured Condition. His post “Simple Pleasures and a Grander Happiness” is a well-paced and inspiring reflection on how happiness often comes to us in ways and places unexpected: “So I was driving across the bridge over the Saint-Laurent River instead of taking the metro to see one of the greatest musicians of the times, thinking how ironic it was that I was thousands of miles from home and obligations to Tae Kwon Do was still keeping me from doing things. It’s seriously been the story of my life since I was nine.”
26. Blog about national/international ____ month/day/week.
Consult lists of commemorative months, weeks, and days to find one that interests you, and share your experience or resources. For inspiration, see the post “Connected Educator Month October 2015” at the Gifted Resources Blog (by #30PostsHathSept blogger Jo Freitag).
27. Weave together prose, photos, videos and poetry.
In honor of Sunday’s super blood moon, Marianne Kuzujanakis (another #30PostsHathSept participant) wrote “Shadowed Moon,” which synthesizes information, original photography, entertaining video, and haiku. These kinds of posts are ones that readers will find and return to long after the event that inspired them is over.
28. Be a food blogger, if only for a day.
The next time you make a favorite dish, start a little early and take notes and photos along the way, then share your recipe in a step-by-step blog post. For examples, see the recipe for “Perfect Potato Salad” from At Yvonne’s Table and “Chocolate Cake” from one of my favorite food sites, Cooking for Engineers.
29. Provide an update on a previous post
#30PostsHathSept blogger Allyse (aka The Frog Lady) offers a good example of this idea in her “Table Centerpiece Display Terrarium Update.” She uses photos to tell most of the story of how her DIY Terrarium progressed from idea to finished centerpiece.
30. Write about what you are thinking about right now.
Writer, professor, and friend Katherine Wikoff regularly blogs about photos from her daily life that catch her eye, such as her recent “Glorious September Sun and Clouds.” She muses on whether anyone else finds it interesting, and concludes, “this is my blog and these are the things I’m thinking about right now.” If you want to write a post but are stuck because you are thinking too much about whether anyone will want to read it, write the post for yourself, to make a record of your time this day on Earth. You need no other reason.
Thank you for all these great suggestions and links to interesting reading Lisa and thank you again for setting up this challenge for us!
Jo, thank you for your engagement and posts! I really enjoyed getting to know everyone better and having our little support group. 🙂