I’m Asking You – Software to Write Blog Posts?
I’ve got a problem. Will you help solve it?
I can’t effectively manage writing my blog posts.
It’s not a matter of time. I’m writing on three blogs, but two of them I only do a post a week. I can handle the volume of writing required.
The problem is managing and developing posts that are in progress. At any given time, I’ve got at least half a dozen posts simmering on the stove. There are usually more, especially if you count single line ideas.
The current method
I’ve got a big text file, where I jot down all my notes. This is where I flesh out ideas early on. The single line thoughts go here. A post sits in the text file until it’s 10 lines or so. At that point it starts to clutter my file.
Once a post is substantial on its own, I turn it into a draft in WordPress. This way I can start playing with formatting, etc. This also helps me push the post out, since I don’t like seeing drafts lying around.
I hate it
There are several problems with this method. First of all, it divides my projects into several places. I’d like to have all my developing posts in a single location. This way I can just go there and write.
Second, I can’t tag posts by the blog they’re destined for. This happens when I transfer them to WordPress, but not in the early stages while they live in the text file. I’d like to have a list of my posts, all in one place, tagged by blog.
Third, a portion of my writing occurs offline (usually on the bus). I can’t work on WordPress drafts unless I’m online. So I need my posts on my hard drive.
Can you help?
If you know anything that might help with this problem, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment so everyone can see.
The ideal solution doesn’t have to be specifically blog software. I don’t need to publish from there. I just need something (like a great text editor, maybe) to manage my posts during the writing process.
[tags]blogging, software, text editor, wordpress[/tags]
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24 Responses to “I’m Asking You – Software to Write Blog Posts?”
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About Andrew Flusche
Lawyer, bicyclist, husband.
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May 3rd, 2007
I use Windows Live Writer which sits on the desktop with drafts. There is the ability to add tags etc and I hit publish to upload to my blog. You can have the setup for your different blogs and keep drafts and posts separated by blog.
May 3rd, 2007
I have the same general problem; I’ve got makings of blog posts everywhere (even scribbled in my notebook by my bed), but no unified system that organizes them for me and makes it less of a pain to polish and ship them out the door.
I honestly thought the problem was me, but hell, if there’s a technology to solve this problem, I’m in! 🙂
May 3rd, 2007
I would love something like this. I usually use Microsoft OneNote to organize scraps of ideas and I have an “Articles” bookmarks folder for referencing certain pages.
All-in-all, very messy, we definitely need something more centralized.
May 3rd, 2007
Hi guys,
I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one with this organizational problem. Maybe we can find a solution together.
I’ve heard others talk about Live Writer. I might give it a peak write now.
If anybody else has an idea, please post it here. I’m sure we can all benefit!
Take care,
Andrew
May 3rd, 2007
I use a free tool called KeyNote http://www.tranglos.com/free/index.html (keynote is in the left frame)
I use this to write all my ideas for my lawsuit because you can have multiple trees. So I have a tree for the actual brief, a tree for my ideas, a tree for supporting laws, etc.
Then I start another key note to track all my blog entries. All the story entries in my “Facing the Sharks” blog were first done in KeyNote, all on the same file, but different entries. It’s also great for keeping a backup of your posts.
It sits in your systray until you’re ready to use again. Just click your systray icon of it, and up pops your files. You can have multiple instances of it in your systray too. I have my lawsuit files, my blog, and my journal all running at the same time.
You can export the entire file, or parts of it, to Microsoft Word too.
May 3rd, 2007
Pro Se,
I checked into KeyNote. It’s definitely an interesting option. I like the way it has the tree on the left, so you can organize everything. Very nice. I might have to give that one a try.
Take care,
Andrew
May 3rd, 2007
I sometimes use Kate to start things off. I love having the sidebar to switch between documents and I get syntax coloring for the HTML.
May 3rd, 2007
Hi Jake,
Thanks for the recommendation of Kate. That looks interesting. I like the simplicity, but effectiveness of it. I might have to give it a try.
Take care,
Andrew
May 4th, 2007
If you’re a Linux user try BasKet. It’s a simple tool that allows you to quickly collate ideas, links, images, …
I couldn’t operate without it!
May 4th, 2007
Hi Wilinux,
That’s a pretty nice looking app. Unfortunately, I’m on Windows. Although some of your fellow readers might find it useful. The screen shots look spiffy!
Thanks for commenting,
Andrew
May 5th, 2007
Yes, facing the same kind of problem! I have half a dozen articles partially written, and could easily have more ‘heads’ in the pipeline if I allowed myself to.
Article generation is the weak spot for WP, as I guess most CMS/ blogs. We’re kind of pushing the existing technology further everytime.
Would think that someone could write a plugin for WP? But I don’t have the ability to do that yet!
Thanks (and I thought it was me only!)
May 5th, 2007
Hi Kenneth,
You’re definitely not alone with this problem. Thanks to Peter’s recommendation above, I’m trying out Windows Live Writer. It’s working pretty well with WordPress, but I can’t get it to work with Blogger. You might give it a shot.
Take care,
Andrew
May 7th, 2007
Another vote for Windows Live Writer. Though I wish MS would update the software. It seems to have been in limbo for months.
May 7th, 2007
Paul,
I completely agree that Live Writer needs an update. It’s a great start to a good solution, but it looks like MS has let it lie fallow. That’s pretty sad.
May 9th, 2007
I’m a Firefox guy and I blog daily. I use the ScribeFire add- on and just start to draft ideas as I see them. At the end of the day, I have links and a few sentences about my thoughts and then I finish them up at night or early the next morning.
The process works well for me, but it may be a personal thing.
Courses and what not always seem to get in the way of thoughts so it helps just to have a solid idea to base.
May 9th, 2007
Hi Chris,
Thanks for adding your thoughts here. I tried the old Performancing Firefox extension. It never quite did it for me. I might have to give ScribeFire a go. Who knows?
I’m glad you’ve found something that works well. That’s what’s important – finding your own solution.
Take care,
Andrew
May 9th, 2007
Tried LiveWriter, but then was told I had to install .net. Quickly nixed that. What’s the point in having to install two things just to get one working properly!
ScribeFire isn’t much different from Performancing either.
I’m using BlogDesk which works well.
May 10th, 2007
Kenneth,
Thanks for the recommendation of BlogDesk. I’ll have to look into that. Although it doesn’t look like it works with Blogger. I just might not find the perfect solution.
By the way, I like what you’re doing with your blog redesign. Nice!
May 10th, 2007
Hey, thanks! Looks like that’s true! I didn’t realize this blog was hosted on Blogger!
Kenneth
May 10th, 2007
Hi Kenneth,
Legal Andrew is definitely not on Blogger. I’m proudly powered by WordPress. But I work with quite a few blogs in different capacities. And some of them are on Blogger. Thus, I’d love a single solution for everything.
Andrew
January 18th, 2008
great ideas you guys are giving here…i will surely try them myself since i too have a problem in managing my posts like yours…!
March 27th, 2008
WP o Matic is a WordPess plugin that lets you use the RSS feeds to create your blog posts automatically by typing in the feed’s url and choosing in which of your blog’s categories you want the posts to appear.
March 27th, 2008
Janni – That sounds like a blog scraper to me. Isn’t it just taking a feed and republishing it on another blog?
May 5th, 2009
I use windows live writer as well. I am comfortable with the interface and it is simple to use. there are a few draw back to using it but it really gets the job done. At least for me it does.