Prompts to Help You #bloglikecrazy

Image by Mike Licht via Flickr/Creative Commons

The #bloglikecrazy challenge for November is over. All month long several other bloggers and I strove to blog daily and we shared our posts via Facebook and via Twitter with the hashtag #bloglikecrazy. 

For the first time ever I blogged every day for 30 days. And I loved it. I loved it so much that as I woke up today and realized I didn't have to publish a post I felt strange. So I just had to post something!

Today I've decided to share the writing prompts I emailed to other bloggers who took on the #bloglikecrazy challenge with me. A few were Thanksgiving related, but still can be used anytime of the year. I hope they'll inspire you to blog like crazy too. 

Thursday, Nov. 1 -- November Intentions: I'm a big believer in living with intention. Kick off the month by listing your intentions for November. This list can focus on what you hope to get out of #bloglikecrazy or detail your personal and professional goals for the month. 

Friday, Nov. 2 -- Defense! No, I'm not talking about football. Write a post defending something or someone that usually gets a bad rap. This could be a celebrity, a book, your favorite food, a region of the country, etc. The possibilities are endless. To narrow your choices, pick something that's somehow related to your blogging niche.

Saturday, Nov. 3 -- Write something risky. You know, that post you've always wanted to write but didn't because you're afraid of how your readers will react. You're afraid of what your family and friends will think. Yes, that one. That's the post you need to write and you need to write it right now. I did just that earlier this year. That post received more comments than anything I've ever published online and received more page views than nearly all other posts to WriteousBabe.com. (In case you're interested, you can read the post here: http://www.writeousbabe.com/2012/07/why-im-reluctant-to-write-about-not.html)

Sunday, Nov. 4 -- Link Love: Compile a list of links to some of the most intriguing and insightful articles and blog posts you read online this week. Try to pick articles related to your niche and add some meaningful commentary to your list so your fans will understand why they should take the time reading these posts too. This is a great way to keep your readers informed and to show love to other bloggers. You may even consider making this a regular feature of your blog. 

Monday, Nov. 5 -- Noteworthy: I am an obsessive note taker. Whether I'm at church, at a conference, or in a meeting you are bound to find me scribbling in a notebook. Chances are, you can relate. Spend some time thumbing through notes you took at a conference, meeting, or other event (preferably one related to your blogging niche) and compose a post sharing what you learned. 

Tuesday, Nov. 6 -- Blog the Vote! Don't worry, I'm not asking you to divulge who you're voting for or share your thoughts on abortion, Obama Care or even Big Bird. Simply write a post explaining to your readers why you vote, or if for some reason you chose to sit out this election, I'm sure your readers would love to know your reasons for that too.

Wednesday, Nov. 7 – Who What Wear: Write a post about fashion, yes, even if you’re not a fashion blogger. Whether you’re a style maven who’s always dressed to the nines or the type that just rolls out of bed and throws on jeans and a t-shirt, we all have at least one interesting story about clothes and wardrobe.

Thursday, Nov. 8 – Fit for Life: Write a post about fitness, yes, even if you’re not a fitness blogger. We all need to think about our health because you can’t be a blogging star if you’re dead. Share with your readers fitness struggles you may be having or a fitness goal you recently accomplished. Or tell us how you plan to get or stay in shape.

Friday, Nov. 9 – Today on my blog I discussed the importance of having a clear vision for your blog’s purpose. Write a mission statement for your blog and post it.

Saturday, Nov. 10 -- Re-watch one of your favorite movies (preferably one related to your niche) and write about a lesson you learned from it. For example, here’s a post I wrote recently after re-watching Julie & Julia: http://www.writeousbabe.com/2012/10/monday-motivation-do-something-crazy.html.

Sunday, Nov. 11 – Write a How-To Piece. It can be on anything you want. You can either give your readers advice based on your own knowledge, or if there’s something you want to know how to do, go ask someone and report back as I did in my post Howto Blog Every Day For a Year.

Monday, Nov. 12 – From Mundane to Magical. Sometimes we can find inspiration in the most mundane moments, such as the wisdom I gleaned from cleaning out my closet. (You can read that post here: http://www.soulinstereo.com/2011/06/monday-motivation-in-closet.html) Take some time to think back on life lessons you’ve learned while doing seemingly dull or ordinary tasks or while out enjoying nature. 

Tuesday, Nov. 13 – Legacy. The pastor of my church has been talking about legacy for the past month. Regardless of your religious beliefs I think we should all be thinking about the kind of legacy we want to leave behind. So how do you want to be remembered and what are you doing about it today?

Wednesday, Nov. 14 – 4 Simple Goals. Recently, I published a blog post on setting four simple goals for the remainder of the year. Check it out and post 4 simple goals of your own.  http://www.writeousbabe.com/2012/11/4-simple-goals-before-2013.html

Thursday, Nov. 15 – Why I Blog.  At this point you’ll be halfway through #bloglikecrazy. But are we crazy for blogging like crazy? What’s the point of blogging when the blogosphere is so saturated? Why do you blog? Feel free to check out this post for inspiration: http://www.writeousbabe.com/2012/11/am-i-crazy-for-blogging-like-crazy.html

Friday, Nov. 16 – Currently. Share with your readers what you’re into at the moment. Check out this post for ideas: http://www.writeousbabe.com/2012/11/currently.html

Saturday, Nov. 17 – Bloggers Night Out. Write about an event going on your town. This is a great way to reach new readers.

Sunday, Nov. 18 – Family. With Thanksgiving just around the corner you’re probably looking forward to spending some quality time with your family. Or you’re dreading it. Either way our families are always rich with good writing material. Today, blog about your family.  

Monday, Nov. 19 – Why Do You Love Being a Woman? That’s a simple question, but one that most likely has a complicated answer. So let’s write a blog post about it. Special thanks to Evette Dionne for this idea. Check out her post on this question: http://evettedionne.com/2012/11/15/appreciatewomanhood.

Tuesday, Nov. 20 – Elevator Pitch. Pick something you’re passionate about – the company you work for, the business you want to start, the non-profit organization you want to launch, you blog, your book – and write an elevator pitch for it, then post it on your blog.  

Wednesday, Nov. 21 – Food Stories. You’re probably thinking a lot about food right now as you’re preparing for Turkey Day! Write a blog post about food.

Thursday, Nov. 22 – Give Thanks. Many of you have been giving thanks on your blogs or on Facebook all month long, but let us all make a list of things we’re grateful for today.

Friday, Nov. 23 – Music Mantra. In a blog post about why she blogs, Erin Street quoted my favorite Ani DiFranco song, “Joyful Girl,” and inspired today’s prompt. Choose a song that you would consider your mantra. Briefly explain why you chose this song and post a video of the song or the lyrics. (You can check out Erin’s post here:  http://erinstreet.com/gold-shoe-blog/2012/11/11/gold-shoe-blog-mission-statement.html

Sat. Nov. 24 – Manifesto. Now that you’ve thought about your musical mantra let’s take it a step further. Write a manifesto. Not sure where to start? Here are two examples:

http://www.writeousbabe.com/2012/08/southern-fried-feminist-manifesto.html

http://www.writeousbabe.com/2012/06/writeous-babe-manifesto-encouragement.html

Sunday, Nov. 25 – Picture This. Share pictures from your holiday weekend, your favorite Instagram pics or Pinterest pins, or snapshots of yourself, your home or all the junk in your bag.  The images you share are totally up to you. Just post pictures and tell us a little about them. Or better yet, let the images inspire a meaningful and thoughtful post.

Monday, Nov. 26 – Letter to Self. Write a letter to your younger or future self.

Tuesday, Nov. 27 – The Power of Unpopular. Do you have an unpopular opinion on an issue? Probably so. Be fearless and write about your controversial stance.

Wednesday, Nov. 28 -- Q&A. Do a Q&A with someone you admire or someone who has achieved something you aspire to do.

Thursday, Nov. 29 – Write a post with this title: “Things You Don't Know About Me.”

Friday, Nov. 30 – Now that we’ve reached the end of our little adventure of blogging like crazy, reflect on the month. What did you learn about yourself as a writer? What’s next for you and your blog?