Using Springpad to Manage Ideas/Inspirations for Posts on Your Blog

The reason why I write is so that I can have some balance from a full-time job that continues to consume me; so that I can cultivate this hobby that’s been an on and off affair over the last ten years.  However, inspirations come at every corner throughout the week.  It is hard for me to turn them off.

Conversely, it is also too much pressure to sit on the weekend mornings (my planned writing schedule) waiting for inspirations.   I end up spending an hour or two brainstorming for a post.  By the time I am done with the first draft, I am already fatigue!  I am too tired to review the draft for grammatical errors, flow, etc.

So, I need a better method to manage my writing.

I’ve started two weeks ago to use Springpad to record ideas throughout the week so that on the weekend mornings when I am to write, it’s a matter of synthesis and refinement.  This way, the end product, a post, is more thought out.

Here is a list of post ideas in my Happy Connected project notebook.  They are tagged by “post” and status (if a post had been published, then it is tagged “completed”).

The three (3) features inside each spring item that are useful include the following:

1.  The ability to attach voice recording or photos (I can record ideas while I am commuting; I can also attach photos as inspirations);

2.  The option to create reminders so I can set up a reminder for a post (for a specific date to publish it); and,

3.  The ability to make comments to each spring item.

I have over time used the Chrome clipper I talked about in Using Springpad to Gather Inspirations for a Backyard Wedding to grab web content, either for further reading, research, or blog ideas.  Having these contents readily is extremely handy.  I use this clipper instead of using any bookmark utilities.

A key feature of the Springpad platform is that you can add a spring item under multiple notebooks.   For example, when I have an item under my Europe notebook that I want to write about, I can add that item from my Europe notebook into my Happy Connected notebook.   I can then tag this item as a “post.” This way, that experience is in TWO places, a notebook called Europe that is analogous to a scrapbook and my Happy Connected blog project notebook.

Now, I struggle less with inspirations, and can focus more on technique and style.

Hopefully, one day, I can write something freshly pressed.