For the next couple of months, you won’t see as many posts on this blog. I have two months to complete the research on my thesis and write my paper. It’s an interesting topic – I’m studying how a family literacy program in DC helps parents to support their children’s educational development. A mouthful, right? February is the most stressful month for me, because I’m spending a lot of my time in the school talking to parents and teachers (time I also need to be at work). Online research and writing papers isn’t hard for me, but working with real people is much more challenging!
If all goes well I write my paper in March, submit for review in April, and graduate in May. And that’s not counting my full-time job. The challenge has been taking the time off from blogging. When I sit down at my computer I think about the blogs I want to read, the reviews I should write, and I’d much rather work on those things. I’m reading good books and not talking about them, which is frustrating.
When you get really busy, how does it impact your blog? Do you read less? Post less? Write mini-reviews? Spend less time on blog activities like challenges and read-alongs?
For me, I read just as much when life gets busy, although maybe I read lighter books. Reading is like breathing to me… and I would be a lot MORE stressed if I couldn’t escape in a book. But the blogging suffers. I made a few promises to myself in January, and I find I have to keep reminding myself of them.
For the next few months,
1) I will not feel guilty about posting less. People take time off from their blogs all the time, and the world doesn’t end. In fact it’s more likely if I don’t take the time off I’ll just burn out.
2) I will read for fun. I won’t read books for challenges or read-alongs or diversity or literary merit unless it’s a book I really want to read. You might think that sounds obvious but it’s not. I always feel like there are books I SHOULD be reading, and often I’m glad I pushed myself. But not right now.
3) I will write mini-reviews. Honestly, I find it hard to write short reviews, because you can’t do justice to a good book that way, but I’d rather post something than nothing.
4) I will prioritize reviewing the books I’ve committed to reading (review requests and galleys) and I will not take on any new review requests until May (unless it’s a book I really want to read).
Bloggers, what do you do when life gets really busy and your attention should be somewhere else? Does the blog pull at you like mine does, or is it easy to step away?
Readers, thanks for staying with me for the next few months.
Note: You can find more posts about blogging at Feed Your Fiction Addiction.
