"laptop" by utnapistim via Flickr

I started blogging to enhance my writing and give me a creative outlet. As a novice blogger, I wrote once or twice per week. It wasn’t until I decided to blog daily that I saw a change in my writing. I forced myself to write about something every day, which was a challenge in and of itself. I asked bloggers I admired about their routines and began shaping my own norms.

1. Topics, topics, topics. People who know me personally and read Nursetopia frequently ask how I can find something to write about every day. It’s not always easy; I find inspiration everywhere. I read a lot of other blogs, books, and social networking sites, which provide intriguing fodder. I use Evernote to capture ideas and random thoughts, which may quickly develop into a post or take months for me to think about or re-read. It’s a treasure trove of creative randomness.

2. Time. With the busyness of life, time to write is important. I typically blog at the end of each day and schedule posts to publish the next morning. If I have more time than expected or am feeling particularly inspired, I may write a few posts and save them for the moments that I cannot or do not want to write. Sometimes I already know what to write and how to present it. Other times I work through the unknown to laboriously capture elusive prose. Growth occurs with each post – whether “easy” or “difficult.”

3. Diversity. I enjoy posting a range of writings – prose, poetry, graphics I’ve created, videos, polls, and giveaways. I find when words escape me, when I can’t string complete sentences together or the paragraphs just don’t seem to convey my emotions, poetry is easiest for me to relay my thoughts.

4. Genuine thoughts. I try to write so everyone can understand, without unnecessary words or cryptic messages. I hope it’s working that way, at least. I’m an optimistic person, which my writing reflects. It’s not feigned. I want my writing to mirror my “regular” conversations as much as possible, and writing portrays even more of myself than I allow in face-to-face discussions, which is a little scary.

Those are a few insights into my writing style. How do you write?