Hi Ashley. I’m a huge fan-girl of your blog and find all your posts to be interesting. You have inspired me to start my own blog, but I can’t seem to find really good discussion posts. Everytime I have an idea and try to write a post, it always seems to come out as silly and unrelatable, So if it’s okay with you, can you please explain to me your thought process involved with creating a discussion post. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you stumbled upon Nose Graze. 🙂
I think the trick to writing discussion posts is to not read too far into them. I don’t worry about whether or not people will relate or agree with me. At the end of the day, my discussion posts are just me getting my thoughts out there to the world. If they’re silly, that might even be a good thing! People like silly, quirky posts. If they’re urelatable, then oh well, maybe that post is just a miss. It happens sometimes. But I think more often than not, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how many people can relate to what you’re saying.
Stressed? Worried? Uninspired? Shake it off!
*gigglesnort*
Part of what makes your blog YOURS is that it’s your thoughts, your opinions, your fears, and your dreams. And ultimately, discussion posts are kind of like opinion columns in newspapers. They’re just you sharing your thoughts on a random subject. Don’t worry too much about what people are thinking or how the post will be received. My “method” is kind of like:
- I get an idea for a post or an opinion I have on a topic.
- I write it up and really pour everything I feel into it.
- I hit “Schedule”.
Maybe it used to happen at the beginning, but these days I never stop and think, “What if no one likes this? What if no one agrees with me?” I do think it’s normal if you feel that at first. I can be tough to start putting your opinions out there. What if you’re the only one? Seriously, what if people disagree with you?
But after you do one or two or seventy discussion posts, you start to gain confidence. You realize that it doesn’t matter if you publish it and it gets zero comments. Posts can be hit or miss and it’s natural to have one that’s a “miss” now and then. Just pick up and move forward. Or, sometimes everyone will disagree with you. And that’s okay too. Heck, it might even make for a more interesting discussion. If everyone just says, “I agree”, there’s not much more to talk about. But if people disagree with you, there might be more talking points!
Don’t stress, don’t worry. We WANT to see what you have to say!
At the end of the day, people LOVE discussion posts. So no matter what you come up with, I’m sure people will read and enjoy your posts. Even if they disagree with what you say, it can still be fun to read an opposing view point.
I agree, don’t worry too much! Just write your post and schedule! 😀
I’ve had my fair share of “miss” discussion posts (laughs) but that’s okay, because they are MY thoughts, and not someone else’s. ^_^ But you’re right, Ashley, you do get more comfortable & confident with them!
I love this advice!! I try to get the balls to do more discussion posts. I stop myself because of “what ifs” Ill just shake it off 😉 LOL
This is great advice! My entire process for discussions is to either jot down the idea and never write it up, or go straight in, write the entire post, and get too freaked out to post it so it forever sits in my drafts folder. Discussions make me nervous like no other, and I even wrote a post about that, hoping it would help, but I couldn’t post it because of nerves!
I love discussion posts, not just writing them but reading them too. They’re more personal and it makes you feel like you know the person a little bit more.
I always have that ‘oh shit I hope I don’t offend anyone’ fear when I write mine. Now everyone gets offended and the cliques come at you with pitchforks…
I agree, I never think about if my topic is relatable or makes sense. It’s just something I want to talk about, no matter what it is about.
I loved your advice here. I was always worried about having a ‘great’ discussion post, but you’re right. It’s our discussion post and our opinions. 🙂
And PS I loved that Taylor video. I’ve never heard the song, but loved it and the video. I was snorting when I laughed. 😉
I love the video too! 😀
Good advice! I used to not write many discussion posts at all because I was always a bit afraid that I didn’t know what to say. But now I just go with it and don’t worry too much about it. My latest discussion post is the most random one yet – but that’s okay. Sometimes it’s fun to read something random!
I love discussion posts. They always spark great conversation, and when people disagree with you they’re usually very polite about it — and it’s really interesting to read about your topic from a different perspective!
I have seen some people do book discussions AND book reviews on the same blog. I’m a little confused on what the difference between them is. Is it that book discussions simply include more of your opinion?
In the context of a book blog, discussions typically aren’t about an individual book. They’re more about reading in general or authors in general.
A review is your opinion on an individual book.
A discussion is your opinion on a greater, overarching topic.
Some of my examples:
How Many Books Until You Give Up on an Author?
It Makes Total Sense that Blog Tour Organizers Only Allow Positive Reviews
5 Ways That Reading a Book is Like Exercising
No, I Won’t Share that Book I’ve Never Heard Of
Do Those Romance Companion Series Get too Ridiculous?
See how they’re not about a single book? They’re about reading in general.