Due to recent events, I’ve had to rethink what I plan to do with WriterSanctuary, as well as all of the other blogs I own. Essentially, I’m starting my life over from very little, and I need to prioritize. Now, this doesn’t mean I’m done with all of my brands and writing. It just means I have to make a few adjustments.
For one thing, trying to maintain a specific schedule for writing is going to be next to impossible until I get a bit of stability in my life. Currently, I don’t have a home or a job, so that makes things a bit more difficult.
Nonetheless, I’m not giving up. I’m still going to school full-time (online) and doing what I can to build some of that stability.
Reworking the Mindmap in Mindomo
I love using Mindomo. While I wish they would have kept the checklist function as part of the free platform, it’s still a great tool for planning. But because a large portion of my life has been turned upside down, the current plan just isn’t possible.
There are a few ultimate goals I’d like to keep, such as building an indie bookstore and hosting my own book events for indie authors. However, a lot of that is probably going to be set aside indefinitely.
Now, “indefinitely” doesn’t mean “never.” It just means that there isn’t a definite timeline for when something will happen. It could be tomorrow; it could be 10 years from now. Things are just too chaotic at the moment to settle on a timeframe for building some things.
What I’m focusing on most are the goals for the roadmap. A lot of them just aren’t going to be realistic given the nature of the Internet today. Thanks to AI, traffic goals are just not going to work the same as they did 10 years ago. Then again, I usually don’t focus on traffic numbers as a real goal for blogging.
You can’t force people to read your blog. Instead, set goals to cover high-value topics and write high-quality content for human readers. Those are goals you can control.
A lot of the plan for future content, though, is still viable. Reviews, tutorials, and listicles still generate a great deal of interest from humans and AI alike. I just need the time to build those pieces of content, as they usually take considerably longer than most other forms.
Keeping the YouTube Channel Alive – Ish
The hardest part is trying to find the time to keep the YouTube channel alive while things are up in the air. With the new YPP requirements coming next year, I’d hate to lose monetization right now. It would take a long time to get ad revenue back, not that it’s making much of a difference, mind you.
I only make about $30 per month from YouTube. A lot of that is my fault, though. People aren’t going to watch videos unless you make them. And even then, they have to be something the majority want to watch in the first place.
Still, I’m going to see about getting in a few videos or some Shorts until things settle. They won’t be as polished, but perhaps they can keep the channel from going under completely until I get stable.
There is so much more I want to do with the channel. For instance, I want to finish setting up the course videos and see how well they perform. Who knows, it might make a difference in how much I make each month.
The bottom line is that I don’t know when I’ll be able to set things up to get back into making regular videos. I suppose I can make them from the car or the campsite. But I don’t know how well they’ll be received. Vlog-style videos perform exceptionally poorly on WriterSanctuary.
That’s why I am thinking about making updates to the Michael Brockbank YouTube channel, documenting how I am rebuilding things from the ground up.
Maintaining the Blog Is Easy Enough
Perhaps the easiest part of all this is maintaining the blog. I am a writer, and I can always find a couple of hours each day to hammer out something new. Plus, I can blog from just about anything, anywhere.
Now, I doubt I’ll be able to focus on keyword research and high-value topics. For example, to write a good review, I put several hours into trying new software or apps. And I don’t know if I’ll have the time to do that at the moment.
A lot of what I’ll put together will probably focus more on what I’ve learned in college while working on my degree in Creative Writing. For instance, I recently explored epistolary storytelling, which is something I would love to try myself.
I wanted to write more about what I learn in college anyway. Besides, it’s one of the reasons why I built this blog in the first place: to help writers grow. I’m just moving away from freelancing content to self-publishing and blogging. What I’ve learned thus far applies to both.
In any case, I’ll be able to keep the blog moving forward. Whether the content is viewed as “high-quality” by search engines remains to be seen. Still, it shouldn’t take a lot of time to whip up something for the blog while I’m working on getting things stable.
Squeezing In Time for the Books
The toughest part is going to be squeezing time in to continue working on my books. And I also started considering writing part two to A Freelancer’s Tale simply because of all the things that have changed over the last few months.
I don’t know if I should start the second part now or wait until I figure out where things are going as an author and blogger. After all, I would love to have a happy ending and demonstrate that not giving up on writing does have rewards.
I still believe that, actually. Just because things are rough right now doesn’t mean that in a year’s time, I won’t be successful at something. It’s merely a bumpy part on the path. I’m sure I’ll hit paved road soon.
Since I use Reedsy Studio to write all my books at the moment, I have access to them anywhere. That is, as long as I have my laptop and an Internet connection. I’m sure I can park near a library or a McDonald’s to squeeze in a thousand words or so.
Despite being a writer at heart, I still need to prioritize finding a stable job before I do too much, though. Very few self-published authors ever make enough to pay the bills, and I’m nowhere near that level of success yet.
But perhaps I can work on the books while working some job during my lunch break or something. I’ll find a way to make it happen.
Sometimes, You Need to Make Adjustments
No matter how well you try to hedge your bets, there’s a chance things can go sideways. And when that happens, you’ll undoubtedly need to make a few adjustments to your life to improve the situation.
Sometimes, that means taking a menial job in order to keep a roof over your head.
The life of a self-published author and blogger is not sunshine and rainbows. It’s a constant uphill battle in the hopes that you’ll make enough to at least put gas in the car. Yet, I’m proud of my accomplishments and get a lot more out of this life than just a paycheck.
Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone in order to keep things afloat. Sometimes, that’s the best thing you can do while you regroup and consider what needs to change to get you to where you want to be in life.
Reworking the roadmap and my goals for WriterSanctuary is a necessity to keep things going while I get back on my feet. Nothing more. And when I get to that place, I plan on implementing everything I learned over the last few months.
Mostly, that you can’t take anything for granted. Don’t assume you’re untouchable, no matter how good you are at your job. Some automation can come by, and your boss can toss you aside for the cheaper McContent.
Remember, part of being successful is how you persevere when things go south.
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- Working On Part 2 of A Freelancer’s Tale - August 26, 2026