blogging – Signs, Wonders, Miracles

Going on a Short Writing Sabbatical

I’m going on a short writing sabbatical,

Even though I know it may sound radical.

But I’ve got stuff to deal with and if I do not,

Then all it will do is stir up the pot

Of things I must juggle. For me, it’s too much,

And though writing can help me, it’s not the best crutch.

So, please understand if I’m not here as often,

My website is not going into a coffin.

But I cannot be here as much as I’d like.

So please understand. This is not about “Mike.”

And I will be back here as much as I can,

Though for now I’ve my hands full, I’ve too much to plan.

Site fixed: No More Blank Pages

No more blank pages, that’s what it’s about.

Those mean 404 “not founds” I’ll do without.

Those “Content deleted” 410s stink, I think,

Worse than the spuds rotting under my sink.

To redirect articles does take some doing,

And sometimes it can even leave one a-stewing.

But I won’t stew long, for my site I will fix

By adding brand new URLs to the mix.

Soon my content will rock with the coolest keywords,

Bewildering penguins and bad hummingbirds.

Then pandas will leave my page rankings alone.

No longer will I hear my search engine moan.

With fresh 301s. the ball soon will get rolling

So my site can invite all the bots that come strolling.

No technical issues will mar my word count.

Traffic will grow and the comments will mount.

More likes will abound as I seek to adjust

And rescue my SEO scores which I must.

Blank pages will vanish, because all links connect,

And no more breaches will the console detect.

No more blank pages, that’s what it’s about.

“I’ve accounted for all of them!” I want to shout,

Because if I do not enjoy my success,

Then how can I bear up when I feel the stress

Brought on by a dip in views so sad to see

When, unfortunately, it seems no one likes me?

Therefore as each flaw in my posts disappears,

I’ll applaud my success and envision the cheers.

I’ve fixed the blank pages. The lost I will find,

And no mean algorithms will mess with my mind.

As I speak to the mountain I wish to eject,

I’m thinking of finer site maps to erect.

I cannot predict if my followers will stay,

But I’ll try my best not to chase them away.

So, off I go now to continue this race,

At a slow but profoundly continual pace.

https://miracle-times.com/blogging/zero-new-likes/

Zero New Likes: a Source of Frustration.

Zero New Likes. That’s what I got, and it was very frustrating.

I guess it should be expected, though. After all, I hadn’t blogged in over a month. That’s because two things kept me busy.

First of all, I had a missions trip to prepare for. Secondly, I had to complete my novel that has taken me over eight years to write. When I checked my site recently, I noticed that quite a few people had dropped by. There were more views than expected for someone like me who has been gone so long, but – get this – absolutely zero likes!

What’s up with that?

Did I lose touch with my audience while I was gone?

Were the people who stopped by my site looking for something – or someone – else?

It’s funny, but when I write more new posts, I seem to get more likes and comments than when the posts are older.

Do people view aged posts as “stale manna,” unworthy of new likes because they’ve somehow lost their zing? Or perhaps new viewers look at old likes with disdain, as if it doesn’t matter what they think. Perhaps they are under the impression that somehow their votes don’t count.

The fact is, their votes do count. If only they knew! Every like my readers click sends an important message: “This post is valuable to me.” It encourages me to keep writing. Zero likes, on the other hand, do the exact opposite. They hit me like a discouragement brick smack between the eyes. Ow, that hurts.

It’s hard to write consistently, day by day, or even week by week, especially when no one pays attention. Or perhaps they do pay attention, but it’s only a passing glance, like someone window shopping. They see the same dresses on display for over a month, with a sign hanging over the window declaring that no new models are currently on display.

“So, try another site, folks. This person is out to lunch.”

Anyhow, that’s how it feels. But I’m back blogging again, at least for now, and for what’s it’s worth, I think I’ve found a publisher for my middle grade fantasy book (just in case anyone was wondering).

The other day I posted something new and got one like, so I guess I’m back in action again (smile).

Happy blogging to all. It’s great to be back again!

https://miracle-times.com/miracles/miracles-good-fruit-persecution/

Zero New Likes

It’s very interesting, but having refrained from blogging for over a month in order to 1) go on a missions trip and 2) complete my novel (NaNoWriMo, here I come in a few days!), I happened to notice that while I was in writing land, quite a few people dropped by my site. There were more views than expected for someone like me who has been gone so long, but – get this – absolutely zero likes!

What’s up with that?

Did I lose touch with my audience while I was gone?

Were the people who stopped by my site looking for something – or someone – else?

It’s funny, but when I write more new posts, I seem to get more likes and comments than when the posts are older.

Do people see those older posts as “stale manna,” unworthy to be enjoyed because they’ve somehow lost their zing? Or perhaps they have enough likes already that new viewers look at them and say, “It doesn’t matter what I think. My vote doesn’t count.

But their vote does count. If only they knew! It’s hard to write consistently, day by day, or even week by week, especially when no one pays attention. Or perhaps they do pay attention, but it’s only a passing glance, like someone window shopping. They see the same dresses on display for over a month, with a sign hanging over the window declaring that no new models are currently on display.

“So, try another site, folks. This person is out to lunch.”

The other day I posted something new and got one like, so I guess I’m back in action again (smile).

Happy blogging to all. It’s great to be back again!