What makes a good post?
Is it that first sentence or paragraph?
Maybe it’s the title?
Or is it actually the content?
I have not been writing long,
so do not profess to know the answers,
instead I am posing the questions.
I read many posts every day,
and depending on my mood and circumstances,
some strike a chord louder than others.
I also write a post almost every day,
and some I know are better than others.
However what really makes me wonder,
and sends me into a spin,
is when I write a post,
that others really like.
I do not mean the wordpress “like”,
which can mean so many things,
from “hi I’m reading”,
or “Hi please call by”,
to “I really liked this”.
No, I mean the posts that people actually comment on.
They comment to say the writing was good,
or they connected with it.
Yet to you it was just another post.
You put in as much or as little time,
as you usually do.
Then you pressed publish,
and Surprise,
the post got a reception you did not anticipate.
Is it because it had a universal theme?
Or was it humorous?
Thought provoking?
Sad?
I sit here and I wonder.
What are the answers to these questions?
Recently I did a post,
How much time in every day do we really live?
which many who are regular readers,
commented on, on site and facebook,
with high praise.
Why?
I sat down and typed that post up,
with no thinking in advance.
As I wrote. it came together,
but it was only as I finished it,
that I knew where it was going.
Relatively little thought went into it.
As I sit here tonight,
I think two thoughts.
1. What was it in that post that readers liked?
2. Should I be writing more of what my readers really want me to write?
Then as I re read those thoughts I hesitate.
Because for me the joy of writing this blog,
is living up to its title,
“My thoughts on a page”.
Each day a different mood,
different thoughts,
and therefore different posts.
I usually never plan my post in advance,
and often begin to write, not knowing where I will end.
So, having thought this through,
not for the first time,
I will continue to wonder,
what it was about those posts,
which worked for anyone who read them,
I do not however think I will post any differently.
This blog is as diverse as myself,
and the truth is that even in everyday life,
believe it or not,
some days,just like in wordpress,
I am more popular than others!
Still I can’t help but wonder.
photo credit: NicoledeB via photopin cc
photo credit: Macarena C. via photopin
photo credit: fiddle oak via photopin cc
My thoughts on a page. 
Maybe it is enough that people like your posts/writing? Consider the alternative. Posts strike chords in people for different reasons. Someone has a favorite line or image. The reasons are as unique as the individual. Enjoy your likes. You earned them~
Thank you. I agree very much with you when you say “the reasons are as unique as the individual”. Food for thought. I love writing, the “likes” are just a bonus. Thanks you for your comment.
Happy Anniversary, tric – hope you and your man have had a wonderful day !
Awwww thanks Duncan! We had a quiet day as I am slightly delicate although I am improving steadily. We will go out in a while just to mark the day. 🙂
Some of it is that you write it sooo well. It’s almost as if you’re just ‘having a chat’…
Thank you, but it does catch you unawares when you strike a chord with others in a way you hadn’t anticipated. I am delighted to hear you think I write as if I am having “a chat”.
I don’t always make comments on posts that I like and I don’t always press like on posts that I read. Nine times out of ten I press the like because I really liked the post and it was something that triggered a response. The other one time I press the like is because that is my way of saying hi I came to visit, without leaving a comment. Now why do I like your posts: you answered it towards the end when you said “my thoughts on a page”…you put on paper what others are thinking about and don’t know how to say quite as eloquently. Thanks for all your posts, I enjoy reading them. By the way, it doesn’t matter how long you have been writing your blog, if you touch someone with your very first post or your 150th post, it is the talent of the writer that is what draws people in.
Thank you. I am delighted to know you enjoy what you read. I do enjoy putting “my thoughts on a page” spares my family having to listen to me! 🙂
Should I be writing more of what my readers really want me to write?
You know how when you watch a child learning to walk and they stumble forward and they are flying it…until it dawns on them what they are doing and then they stumble and fall?
I think writing is a lot like that, if you actually stop to think about it and figure out how it all works then you lose control and people lose interest or don’t resonate with it as much. It’s the spontaneous stuff that really works, the post that you don’t think twice about and bang! It just connects with people.
That’s my two cents. 🙂
Hey JD that is worth a lot more than two cent, I’d def give you a couple of euro for it!
Seriously I think you have nailed it. Spot on. I have often written that I write my best and most popular posts after a glass of wine. It is probably for the very reason you just stated, that I write from the heart. I also know that heartfelt posts are often the posts that resonate the most with me when I read other blogs. Thanks a mil, good call!
You quickly became one of my favourite bloggers, tric, because your posts are always interesting and well-written – in a great conversation like style
Sometimes they make me laugh, sometimes they strike an emotional chord with me, sometimes they remind me of a similar situation or event in my own life, sometimes they make me think – but always they are enjoyable
Keep on writing !
Thanks Duncan. To me each post I write begins the same as I sit to write at my laptop and the kids come in and out. I publish and for whatever the reason occasionally I nail it. It never ceases to amaze me how unpredictable each posts reaction is. However it is this very unpredictability that I actually like. Although you are always loyal regardless of the rubbish I might produce and I thank you for that. 🙂
tric, I do like your posts – all the times, regardless of whether or not I press “like”. And I know for certain that it’s because your posts are natural, i.e. not an artificial write-up to please the reader. The best part tric, is that there is no trick played in your posts. You always write as you speak, and therefore it flows naturally and very beautifully. Often your posts are thought-provoking, and bring the reader close to day-to-day real life. IMHO, reading your posts is often like tasting the essence of life twice, in that specific moment and in retrospect.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on a page. Cheers!!!
tric- sorry for the typo in the first line. It’s meant to be “like” and not “lie”, for I never lie. Pls feel free to correct that typo. Thanks a mil.
Deo
Not a bother Deo, I smiled when I saw it. I will edit it as if I were you it would annoy me!
Thanks tric, for your understanding. Best Regards.
Thank you so very much for your kind words. I am sure you must feel the same sometimes when you post something and you realize others have really enjoyed it more than you could have expected. For me it just makes me wonder why, in a nice way, not in a “I want to know the answer” way.
You are correct, tric. Sometimes it can be puzzling. It’s often hard to know what exactly appeals to the readers. It’s best to be natural and write with what your heart feels and with objectivity. It does strike a cord IMHO.
Yes I think just head down and write as you feel is probably the best way to write. It is usually the most productive I find also.
Well, I like reading your posts because you write beautifully – simple language, but eloquently phrased. And you sound sincere and humble 🙂 I always look forward to finding out what your thoughts of the day are.
Thank you. I am glad you enjoy my posts. It is a great outlet, I find, for those thoughts.
I know I liked this blog because I read the whole thing from top to bottom!
My INITIAL reason for liking a blog is usually because I either like the blogger, like the title, like the picture, or like the first sentence.
My reaction comment will always follow after a like hit, because it reeled me in, like this one 🙂
Thanks. I do very similar to yourself when I “like” a post.. I do find it amazing at times when others enjoy a post I’ve written more than I would have ever imagined. Glad your reading and on this occasion commenting. 🙂
yeah, seems pretty random at times. How about you start off a blog with a ranking system? let us know if its something you put your heart and soul into 🙂
i am always amazed and surprised when people respond to my blogs, i love the thrill of not knowing what will resonate with readers. i just try to write from the heart and it’s not always what people most enjoy and i’m okay with that. i don’t really think there is a science to it, it is more emotional than logical )
Yes it would appear it is definitely an emotional reaction. Whatever it is I will continue to enjoy it when it happens.
I often hit like, for many different reasons. Sometimes I read over one hundred blogs a day. And there isn’t time to comment on the ones I like. Sometimes I like what I read but can’t add to the conversation, but enjoy the conversation as much as the post. I hit like when something makes me laugh. And I hit like when it makes me stop and stare at the page, because it stopped me in my tracks.
Sometimes I read something and it feels good, but I can’t even recognize what it is that feels good. I like your thoughts. 🙂
Thank you. I too often enjoy reading the comments, they can be as good and as amusing as the post sometimes.
I read a lot of blogs furtively (e.g., at work) so I don’t always have the time or opportunity to leave a comment (it’s an open-plan office so other folk can see my screen)
The ‘Like’ button is ideal in these situations.
I use it to ‘flag’ a post I’ve enjoyed reading so I can return to it later , (using the wordpress ‘ my activity’ function to find it again), when my boss has left the room or I’m at home, so I can comment on it then
I’ll know what happened so, when I get a “like” from you at one time and a comment later!
I “like” a post if I like the thoughts behind it. Not necessarily that I always agree, but thatit made me think about something. Sometimes I like a post because I like the author, and want them to know that I’m reading their stuff too.
I like it when you can tell a writer has truly shared something of themselves. There are heaps of posts out there that are written hoping for a specific response from the audience or to garner as much attention as possible. That’s not really for me. I really appreciate honest sentiments where it’s obvious that the writer has just put it out there not expecting anything in return.
I too love those sort of posts, which is why I so enjoy your blog. The obvious ones are usually not my cup of tea but sometimes, the odd blogger, hooks me but usually that is their personality rather than their posts.
I love to hear of your adventures and family stories. That’s why I follow you. Sometimes what you write resonates more than others, but I think that’s subjective – based on the experiences of those who happen to read the day’s offerings.
I thought about trying to “tailor” what I write about to suit…and decided that I’d go nuts. Basically, I’ve decided to put “my thoughts on a page” day by day as well. I’ll deal with knowing that some will be better “liked” than others. I think it goes with the territory.
Glad you’re not going to change what you’ve been doing. Your posts are a bright spot in my day! 🙂
\o/
Thank you. And thanks a million for the reblog! I am unable to change my writing even if I wanted to as this blog makes me happy just the way it is. 🙂
I always enjoy reading what you have to say. Sometimes I get a chuckle other times I get pensive, but I always get a positive reaction to your posts. This is my favorite blog on WordPress, keep up the amazing work! 🙂
Wow thanks a million. I am delighted. I will have to show this to my gang at home here who have very little regard for what I write! Glad to see you returning to the blogosphere too.