So, this post from Lois Elsden has me thinking about how and why I schedule blog posts.

I do schedule posts, especially if I know I won’t be available on a particular day. For instance, I can tell you right now that I’ll be gone on my mother’s birthday. I don’t know what I’ll be doing to celebrate, but whatever it is, it’s a priority for me. So, I’ll put in a post ahead of time.

I also schedule posts in advance for blog-hops and events where there’s a topic, or a short story to be covered. I have A-to-Z coming up in April, and I’m already looking at filling in some of that time. (Last year, I did a lot of ad-libbing to cover the space.)

The other way I use scheduling–and I’m not completely predictable about this–is that I schedule posts to go live about an hour before I get off work. That way, the post is out there, and I can respond to the first round of comments as soon as I get home. (Hypothetically, not an actual skill I have. Not always, anyway.)

Well, it beats the crap out of getting home, writing like crazy, and letting the post hit right before supper or bed, or whatever other thing’s going to keep me away from the wi-fi.

Ideally, I’d like the blog post to be a part of the writing day, and far enough ahead that I have some wiggle room, if the fiction writing runs over, or if something unexpected shows up.

I’d like a stockpile of “schedule-able” posts for those last minute surprises, and I’d like to be a day or two ahead, in general. No “oh, shit, what am I writing about now” posts. I’m getting there.

I’m still feeling out the kind of posts that work well as scheduled, vs. the kind of posts that need to be absolutely fresh. For instance, nobody really cares if that short-story is from last week or last year. And that reupholstery project? I’m sure it’ll be in fashion for years to come. But, if I’m writing about a current event, it kinda helps if the event is still current.

It’s not hard to tell the scheduled posts. They’re on the hour. The rest of them are on Karen time. (two thirty seven, anyone?)

So, what about you? How do you use post scheduling on your blog? Any tips? Horrible warnings? Let me know.