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Blog Improvement Project Week #16: Blog Somewhere New

2009bip-150x210 Since it’s summer in most places, and everyone (myself included) seems to be in a blogging slowdown, I thought this would be a great week to, possibly, get away from the computer for a bit.

No, we’re not going to just ignore our blogs — we’re going to look for blogging inspiration somewhere new.

Darren Rose at Problogger suggested something like this during the 31 Day Build a Better Blog Challenge, except he suggested leaving your blog behind and taking a trip to the mall for some inspiration with just a notebook and a pen. I like that idea, but I’ve got a lap top and so I want the chance to take my blog with me when I go out somewhere new.

There’s no real way to do this. If you’ve got a laptop, take it out of the house and write up a post somewhere different. If you don’t have a laptop, grab a pen and paper and do some brainstorming outside the house (check out BIP Week 2 for brainstorming techniques). Go to the park, a local coffee shop, the library, a friend’s house, your backyard, wherever you feel like it. Just get away from where you usually blog to see what inspiration you might get from a change of scene.

I’m feeling pretty loosey-goosey about this. If you want to write up a post talking about what it was like to blog someplace different, feel free. If you just want to write a post and not mention it was from a different place, feel free to do that too. Just leave some links to whatever you do in the comments on this post so others can be inspired.

As my favorite professor often said to me, “Go forth and do good work.”

P.S. Yes, I know I skipped Week #15. I forgot about it until it was too late to do effectively, so I just decided we could all use the break. Forgive me?

Do you have a favorite place to blog? A favorite place to write or read? Where is it? Does going somewhere new help you focus or get inspired?

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Tracie August 17, 2009, 3:29 pm

    The library. Nothing inspires me more than the library. I love to be surrounded by people working and reading. I also love coffee shops and watching people come in and out. Oh…and parks. There is something motivating about the great outdoors. Okay…so I have a lot of places that I go to 🙂

  • Jenny August 17, 2009, 5:36 pm

    I do not have a favorite place, per se, but I feel that I do my best blogging when I am sitting next to a box of Famous Amos cookies.

    (Though that might just be the sugar high.)

  • justicejenniferreads August 18, 2009, 10:27 pm

    I might jump into this whole blog improvement project. I know I could probably use the tips!

    Anyway, answering your questions. I too have a laptop so I find myself blogging all over the place. Currently I most frequently blog at home in my room or at work (the library). However, when school starts, I could be blogging anywhere on campus (still, it most frequently happens when I’m in my room).

    As for reading – I’ll read anywhere. I carry I book with me in my bag EVERYWHERE just in case I have a few free moments with nothing to do.

    This was a great conversation starter.

  • monnibo August 21, 2009, 12:26 am

    I mentally compose posts in my head… often when I’m lying in bed. I use quite poetic language…. often when I’ve got a book review lingering.

  • Jackie (Farm Lane Books) August 21, 2009, 2:52 pm

    Well that is an easy task! By coincidence I’m on holiday at the moment. For the first time ever I’m blogging in a tent! I’m afraid it isn’t inspiring me to write anything different though – I’m a lot less motivated than usual – nevermind – perhaps something will come to me soon!

  • Julia Smith August 21, 2009, 3:05 pm

    I don’t have a laptop, but I do prefer writing with pen and paper. I do my best fiction writing that way, and transcribe it into the computer afterwards. I write on the bus, while waiting for the bus, and if I’m out in a mall food court or coffee shop.

    This will be an interesting challenge.

  • S.E. Sward August 25, 2009, 2:54 pm

    I blog at home on the couch now that we’re set up so that I can use my laptop wirelessly. But if I’m writing fiction, I love to do it away from home at coffee shops.

    The following post chronicles what happened when I planned to blog at my favorite coffee shop today. It’s not what I’d call overly inspired, but it is what resulted from the attempt!

    blackholesandmacrame.blogspot.com/2009/08/life-is-what-happens-to-you.html