February
25
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To Continue or Not to Continue: An Honest Post
Often, I’m caught between blogging only when I think it may be useful to others and blogging to share my thoughts and vent, just for my own selfish reasons.
The reason you have not seen any exclusively ‘personal’ posts from me so far is that the usefulness requirement wins every time. The usefulness could be recipes, awareness about diabetes or nutrition, or award posts to share links to other blogs. Of course, I may occasionally throw in a line or two about what I have planned or what I’ve been up to but that comes at the end of the post and it’s not more than a couple of paragraphs: a concession I grant myself for letting the usefulness requirement win.
So yes, you guessed it: this post is going to be all blah blah, and no planned usefulness!
If you’re one of my dear regular readers, you’ll know that I’ve taken up fiction writing as my main ‘job’ since the start of this year. While keeping writing as the main activity of the day, I had planned to keep blogging about diabetic friendly recipes here and I set aside 2 hours every night for it. I was being ambitious. I usually shy away from taking on more than I know that I can definitely handle but I thought that I would “lean in” and take on the challenge.
I’ve done reasonably okay managing both tasks. I posted on the blog once a week for three weeks. And I wrote a 32,000-word novella (which is a meandering plot-less thing that I have to put aside for now). The problem? I’m not a fan of ‘reasonably okay’ and to add to that I felt I was not giving the blog my best because I was usually exhausted when I reached the allocated time slot for it. I started thinking about whether it was really useful to others that I continued blogging. And once you start thinking like that it’s easy to slip, slide, and sink into the depressing puddle of worrying whether you should just stop trying to make it work.
I have decided to continue blogging, at least for this year (insert your hurrahs here!). But to make sure that I did better than reasonably okay, I’ve come up with two changes to the way I’ve been working. One: I am allocating a few more hours each week to blogging, and a few of those hours will be in the morning when I’m not too tired and can think better. Two: I am working towards completing a cookbook by the end of the year. This will give me something to strive for, a direction to go in, and a sense of purpose to stop myself from questioning the usefulness of what I’m doing.
So there, that’s what has been decided. It may take a couple of weeks before you see the effects of these changes but it’s going to happen. Meanwhile, I am working on the plot of my new novel. I can think about it in peace now that I’ve convinced myself that I need to continue blogging!
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(Palette Knife and Pen on Recycled Paper)
Sugarfree Sweetheart 
Hi Priya. After an unplanned 2-month break from blogging, I’ve just come across this post. I’m glad that you’ve decided to continue, and really appreciate your honest discussion of this dilemma. It can be difficult to find the time needed to make a blog the best that it can be, but you’re doing an excellent job here. I too am hoping to post more regularly again, so we’ll see how that goes! Good luck with the novel and cookbook, as well. Georgina
Welcome back Georgina! And thank you for your encouragement, I’m going to need all I can get! Looking forward to seeing your posts again. 🙂
Hey Priya! First of all, thank you for this honest post. I actually think posts like this ARE functional. They let others know who you are and deepen connection with your readers. And connection, like love, in my opinion are what make the world go round.
Secondly, hurrah that you’ve decided to continue your blog for now. I’m also excited to hear that you’re writing a cookbook. I’ll certainly buy one and promote it on my blog so let me know when it’s done.
Finally, WOW! I don’t know how you manage all this writing. It makes me tired just to think about it. But more power to you chica. You have a lot to offer and the world is lucky that you have so much energy.
Celeste 🙂
Celeste! Thank you so much for your almost-a-letter-comment there! Love those kind of comments! 🙂 And thank you so much for volunteering to promote my book on your blog.. It’ll probably be closer to the end of the year before that’s ready but I am encouraged by your offer! How’s your vegan-transition book coming along?
Let me start with a hurray!!! It can be hard sometime to find your way. But my best wishes are with you!! Enjoy the ride 🙂
Your comment made my day – part of enjoying the ride, as you say! 🙂
Hey there, you have such a nice blog. Good thing you’re going to continue.
Blessings =)
So kind of you to say that Stacy! Thank you!
so glad you decided to continue to blog:) Cant wait for a sneak preview of your novel.
Thanks for the faith, Pavithra! Hoping for good things in 2014. Will keep you posted on the novel front! 🙂
I think it is absolutely marvelous that you would write full time and have time for an illustrated blog… Not just ‘snap-a-photo-throw-down-a-recipe-similar-to-million-others’ blog, but a creative super cute one!
Perseverance is hardest when you have to persevere on two different goals and run a home at the same time.
Keep going Priya, I look forward to your cook book and it will be one of the first of your many books that will have a permanent place on our bookshelf 🙂
Oh, you are so sweet Archie! Thanks for the faith! You’re right about perseverance being harder when you cant obsess about only one thing – but well, what’s the fun without a proper challenge, eh? 🙂
I’m going to work to put some books on that promised shelf!
Glad you decided to stick with it, Priya! Sounds like there’s a lot on your plate but your new schedule should help! I never realized how much time and work having a blog would be. Thank goodness we love doing it!
Good luck with your new novel and I love your picture as well. 🙂
Thank you for your feedback Sophia! Appreciate the support. And I knew you would like the picture – it’s green! 🙂
My favorite! Amazing you remember that, Priya. 🙂
It’s so good to see so many people taking writing seriously
Best of luck
Thank you for the wishes. I’m following your blog for some regular inspiration!
Sure Priya. There is a lot of inspiration we intend to send across 🙂 keep writing
Priya,
I am surprised that you had second thoughts on blogging. People love you here and wait to see your illustrations and recipes. Take it easy! You are one of a kind blogger with a meaning behind your blog writing and recipes. Neat and Clean and Organized.
Writing will take time and after a point, it will flow like a river. Sometimes blockages slow us down but cannot stop us.
I am glad that for now you have decided to continue both :).
Hugs
Sonal
Completely agree with Sonal!
Hugs xx
Thanks so much, Riddhi! 🙂
Aww, thanks for your kind words, Sonal. I’ll put in some solid effort to get both writing and blogging going at a pleasant pace. You’re spot on about writing taking time at the start and then suddenly taking off — the hard part is sticking with it through the slow spells and just giving it enough time. Anyway, with all this encouragement, I’m all the more motivated to keep working on the blog! It will a bit slow for a while I think, but I will keep it trickling in steadily!
Best of luck with your new writing schedule and work on your novel. I am glad you have decided to continue blogging!
Writing is a roller coaster ride. Some days it’s more enjoyable than others. Some days it’s easier than others. I try to remind myself that all I need to do is write freely. After that, I can decide what’s next. What do I edit? What do I share? Who do I share it with? And yes, this requires a lot of work and a lot of patience. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Thanks so much for your encouragement, Aimee!
I’ve also been trying to write freely instead of worrying at every word and sentence about whether it will be something worth writing. The only way to get enough practice to become a good writer is to write a lot, and often, and that means writing quite a bit of crap along the way too! Good luck with your writing! Here’s to just putting those words on paper! 🙂