When #BlogLikeCrazy season approaches, I often think about one of my favorite Flannery O’Connor quotes: “I write to discover what I know.”

Can you relate? Can you remember moments when you’ve started writing in a journal or typing on a keyboard just to quiet the questions swirling in mind only to discover, by the time you write your final line, that you had the answers all along?

This is one of the many reasons I love #BlogLikeCrazy, my annual challenge to bloggers to publish a new blog post every day for 30 days in November. This challenge gives me 30 new chances to discover what I know and to do so near the end of the year, a perfect time for reflection.

My Blog is a Mixtape

In November, my blog is a mixtape. I forget about blogging for business and do it simply for my love for the written word. As Ani DiFranco sang, “I do it for the joy it brings/ ‘Cause I’m a joyful girl/ ‘Cause the world owes me nothing/ And we owe each other the world.”

But sometimes my words aren’t enough. Sometimes I need to read to discover what I know. It’s like when you listen to a song and the artist is, as Roberta Flack said, singing your life with his words. The right song at the right time can have you declaring, “Last night a DJ saved my life,” like Indeep. Or sometimes you just need a song to make you dance.

The same thing happens when I read a really good blog post. The right post at the right time can answer questions, solve problems, or simply remind me that I am not alone. The right post can inspire me and empower me. Or sometimes I just need a post to make me laugh.

This is another reason I love #BlogLikeCrazy. In November, I set aside time each day to read posts shared on social media using the #BlogLikeCrazy hashtag. I enjoy reading your posts as much as I enjoy writing my own and sometimes find myself declaring, “Last night a blogger saved my life.”

Let’s #bloglikecrazy!

As I’ve shared before, there are many practical reasons to #bloglikecrazy. Blogging daily can boost your creativity. Producing this much content in one month will force you to seek inspiration everywhere and to think outside the box. Blogging daily can help you build community.  The more content you produce, the more reasons people have to visit your site. Just be sure the content is of high quality and that you’re promoting your posts. And take the time to build bonds with other folks who are blogging like crazy, too. Blogging daily will also help you create the writing consistency you need. This challenge will show you exactly what you’re capable of and help you develop the long-term blogging schedule that’s right for you.

Furthermore, the #BlogLikeCrazy challenge helped one See Jane Write Collective member land her first magazine spread. Last year #bloglikecrazy saved me from quitting blogging altogether!

If you’re curious about this #bloglikecrazy challenge, you can click here to learn more, but the rules are simple:

  • You don’t have to be a member of the See Jane Write Collective to do the #bloglikecrazy challenge.
  • To participate, all you need is a blog.
  • You don’t have to write on a certain topic each day. You’re free to blog about whatever you want.
  • You just have to publish a new blog post of at least 300 words each day in November.

If you want to join the fun, let me know in the comments that you’re in!

See Jane Write Collective members have access to a complete #bloglikecrazy survival guide. But everyone, even if you’re not sure if you’re up for the challenge, is invited to a virtual planning party I’m hosting on Tuesday, October 29 at 6:30 p.m. CT. During this session, I will help you plan blog post content for #BlogLikeCrazy and beyond and if you’re participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) instead, I’ll be helping you plan your writing schedule for that, too. RSVP here.

Let’s do this!