Maintaining a List of Blog Entries

When starting this blog, my goal was to release content regularly—at least once per week. Taking too long of a break would likely wreak havoc on my motivation for blogging. This isn't the first personal project I've tried starting after all. To stay focused, I needed a steady stream of ideas. Unfortunately, those ideas don't always flow when needed. They tend to crop up (and quickly disappear) when doing something other than writing for the blog. That's where tracking those thoughts is handy.

Choosing a Tool

Ideas can be very elusive creatures. They pop up when we're busy with something else and disappear just as quickly. They also seem to know how to erase all traces of themselves from memory. At least that's how ideas work for me. So, writing them down as soon as possible is key. We'll need an easily accessible solution that can be carried wherever we go. Some prefer pen and paper. Others, such as myself, prefer an electronic device like a smart phone. There are many apps available for managing lists. My current preference is the Awesome Note app for iOS devices.

Writing Down Ideas

After collecting thoughts and blogging for a while, a backlog will hopefully start to grow. This is an excellent source to draw from when writing posts. Just be aware that the specifics for some entries may be forgotten over time. For example, we may discover a nifty trick with the PHP implode() function. Writing down "Nifty trick with implode()" probably isn't going to be very helpful when getting to the post months later. The more detail provided, the better. We don't even need to be grammatical correct.

If there's any additional information that could assist with the final post, it wouldn't hurt to capture them also. For example, when writing about a creative solution that some website is using, screenshots could be helpful. They'll serve as an extra reminder for what the post is about. Plus, if the website owner ever modifies the solution or removes it all together, we still have a reference.

Reviewing the List

Having a list of potential blog posts isn't very useful if it's not reviewed from time to time. Maybe we don't need that thirteen-part series on the <b> tag. One post will probably be enough and we could look into comparing it against the <strong> tag for a little more depth. Time-sensitive topics should be flagged so they're posted before it's too late. Writing about a new Facebook feature isn't going to be too useful if Facebook changes before the post is complete.

Conclusion

In the end, the process for maintaining potential blog ideas needs to fit your lifestyle. It doesn't matter if you prefer pen and paper or smart phones. The same goes for writing down ideas. Include the supporting information that helps you remember the details. If you're able to write the entire post within a few minutes, go for it. Use what works best for you.