8 Strategies to Avoid Abandoning Your Blog Fiction

Looking across my list of blog fiction sites, I see a lot of abandoned stories. To be clear, I don't mean stories that ended or that have taken a planned hiatus. I mean stories that without any given reason no longer update and never resolved the primary conflict. In my opinion this is the worst thing that can happen to a blog fiction site. If not careful, this can happen even to your brilliant blog fiction.

My best guess is that the authors of these sites experienced either burnout, became disinterested, or died. While I can't help with that last one, I have some ideas and observations on how to avoid the first 2. I've divided these tips into 3 sections. Things to do before starting a blog fiction, after starting, and after become well established.


Before Starting:

1. The first tip, Decide on a manageable posting schedule.
This should be a minimum of your best and worst weeks. If you can usually crank out 4 posts a week except when you're busy, but only 2 when you are busy, then you shouldn't decide on 4 posts a week. I would say only do 2. You'll thank yourself when you're busy.

2. Create a Nice stockpile of posts.
Whatever your posting schedule is, create about a months worth of posts. This buffer will serve you well when you get busy, or need to take a vacation form your blog.

3. Outline, or at least plan, some plots.
While you don't have to plot your entire blog, you should have a good idea of plots, sub-plots, and sub stories to introduce along the way. If it starts to drag, BOOM! drag in one of your sub-plots.

After Starting:
4. Don't post in real-time unless you mean it.
I'm a strong advocate against writing blog fiction in real-time. That means, 1 day in your character's world is the equivalent of a day in your reader's world. However, some people like the idea and thinks it provides a better response from the readers. While true, that means you have to consider one important thing. You can never take a break without explaining why your character hasn't posted in that time. So ask yourself, can you really provide a weeks worth of story all 52 weeks of the year and never take an unexpected break? If not, figure out how to separate your character's time from real-time.

5. Watch out for the "groove" trap.
I know this probably sounds like a weird warning, but it's an important one. What I'm talking about is when you get a sudden burst of creativity. Let's say you usually only do 2 posts a week. In one month though you really get in a "groove", and you start cranking out 5 posts a week creating a HUGE backlog. Now you're tempted to up the number of posts you do. Should you do it? Probably not. Remember, there's a reason you chose the posting schedule you're on. Take the extra time instead to do some editing, promote the site, or heck! even take a break! Bursts of creativity can be followed by bursts of apathy.

6. Take planned breaks
I seriously doubt anyone can do something as fun and "optional" as a blog fiction 365 days a year. Take a planned break. Announce it ahead of time so your readers aren't shocked. Also announce when you'll be back - and make sure that you do come back! Even if you're writing in real-time, try to make up excuses why posting would be cut off for a week or 2. For example, every year for 2 weeks your character visits Aunt what's-her-face who doesn't have an internet connection.

After Well Established:
7. Don't be afraid of unplanned breaks
I mean it. Don't be afraid to just say ENOUGH! It's perfectly acceptable to say.

My brother is missing, my spouse has explosive diaria, my kids have lice, and the dog keeps running away. I don't have any more time to spend on this stupid blog, or to waste time reading comments from my whiny readers about how my posts never go up on time! GO. TO. HELL!!!! ... I'll be back in 1 month, see you all then.

Well, except for that last sentence, maybe it isn't acceptable to say all that, but you get the point. Give a reason why you're taking a sudden break, apologize, and announce when you'll be back - and make sure to be back.

8. End it
Yes, you heard me. You never know, it could just be time to end your masterpiece. If you've been writing as a character for a while, most of the plot points you outlined have been used up, and no new ones are coming to mind, face it, the story is over, it's time to end it.

Now, I'm not saying you should end your story Farscape style by vaporizing your main characters. Rather, tie up some loose ends and have your character announce they will no longer write a diary. You could always come back and do a "sequel" - different blog, same character.

So there are my 8 tips to keep prevent burnout. Does anyone have any other tips that I might have missed?