Over the last month I posted every morning, which to be honest was by accident until the last week or so. Some of the posts I’ve been quite pleased with, others less so, but through it all I’ve kept on writing.
I’ve posted every day for thirty days before, and I truly believe it is a healthy and stretching practice for my limited abilities as a writer. But, there are some downsides to that pace, it may be difficult to pull off as this semester starts up, and I’m not convinced yet that it leads to the best posts each day.
So I’ve been thinking quite a bit about where I want to go with the blog now, and here is my plan for retooling.
* New Schedule
For the foreseeable future I’m planning to post five times a week, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
I think this should allow me to process the ideas behind my writing a bit more, and hopefully lead to better posts. Not necessarily longer, in fact one goal is to have tighter posts. As Pascal stated once “if I had more time I would have made it shorter”
Another problem with posting everyday is that in a given week I can end up bouncing from one idea to the next. That’s alright I suppose, but my hope is that shorter more tightly structured posts that share a theme will help create space for dialogue.
So during the week I’ll write around a specific theme or two, with Saturday reserved for interesting links, guest posts, etc.
* The Ethos of New Ways Forward
I originally started NWF as a venue to converse about faith and theology after graduating from my undergrad program, and it has served that purpose well.
Yet it’s all too easy to make blogging a one way conversation – and it shouldn’t be. It should be more than just be a place for me to speak, it should be a place for me to listen as well, listen to you, and for us to join together in dialogue
So many blogs I visit seem to imagine their role is to lay out detailed arguments which will soundly defeat some theological or political opponent in the length of a single post. Mostly they only end up playing to those who already agree.
The more I think about it the more this seems like a terrible way to approach blogging. It’s disingenuous to imagine that a single post can change someone’s mind, but a place where it is safe to put words to the things we are wrestling with, and where we can challenge each other to think and live more faithfully, that has value.
I hope to shape this blog and my posts in such a way that it is that sort of safe space, a space where we can come together to talk about things that deeply matter. Not that this means relinquishing a voice of critique where it is needed, but writing should be for something, not just against something.
* Longer Term
I’m strongly considering buying my own URL and switching to WordPress Standard Theme, once I have the money. I think both could be good steps for the blog, and so far have heard nothing but positive feedback about both steps.
Suggestions from any who have made those changes would be appreciated!
So that’s it, that’s where I’m hoping to go and what I hope/pray this blog can be. I’m more than open to your feedback and advice, after all I’m still in the amateur stages here and probably always will be.
Thank you for reading this post and being part of the NWF community! Whatever this blog is, it’s thanks to all of you.
Grace and peace
