Blog questions challenge
DSK Anna tagged me on the challenge of blog questions. I am unsure whether I am qualified to write this since I haven't written much. Keeping that in mind, I will try to attempt this challenge.
Why did you start blogging in the first place?
Since college, I have had this urge to write. I love theorising about things happening around me. Until a year ago, I had never made any serious attempts, fearing a lack of unique experiences. When I signed up for Jagrithi Yatra, I got some courage to start. I wanted to share my observations as a Yatri. That way, I can document my experience, too. Though I couldn't finish it properly, it gave me confidence that I could write. Inspired by Sai Anna, I did reflective writing for some time. Later, Takshashila’s GCPP course assignments required me to write long posts.
What platform are you using to manage your blog, and why did you choose it? Have you blogged on other platforms before?
Taking a cue from Sai Anna, I, too, wrote in the substack. Substack allows you to track people who read your post, which is satisfying for beginners. I also wrote a few posts on WordPress with a goal of broader reach.
How do you write your posts? For example, in a local editing tool, or in a panel/dashboard that's part of your blog?
I write most of the time in the panel dashboard itself. Sometimes, I use Evernote, especially to add references.
When do you feel most inspired to write?
All four of my long essays were based on current events. I saw these news clippings about the UP government boosting its efforts to help five thousand Indians get jobs in Israel. These are not white-collared jobs but blue-collared ones that are in active conflict zones. It puzzled me why Indians are happy to trade peace for prosperity. The second one was inspired by the debate around the Modi government giving Bharat Ratna to PV Narasimha Rao. The recent one is about a critical analysis of Manmohan Singh's tenure as Prime Minister. That said, I write mostly when I get triggered. In the case of reflective blogging, I do it when I am bored.
Do you publish immediately after writing, or do you let it simmer a bit as a draft?
Most of the time, I publish immediately.
What's your favorite post on your blog?
Of the few that I wrote, I like this one - Battles Half Won.
Any future plans for your blog? Maybe a redesign, a move to another platform, or adding a new feature?
Due to other commitments, I couldn't write frequently now. If I start writing again, Substack would be the goto place.
Who's next?
Tagging Waqas