Today, I’m starting a new writing challenge for myself, and I invite you to join me. For this challenge, we’re seeing what happens when we consistently publish blog posts. The idea is to help build a positive habit for writing while sharing your thoughts on your preferred topic.
I know…you probably also want to make a few bucks on the side. It’s possible, depending on your niche and what affiliates you choose. But for this challenge, we’re focusing mostly on creating writing habits to keep ourselves creative and productive.
It’s an exercise in managing time while getting into the mindset of meeting deadlines. This is especially useful for those of you who are looking to write and publish books down the road.
What Does This Writing Challenge Entail?
There are a lot of benefits to writing challenges, even if you fail. In fact, as long as you learn something about yourself by the end, nothing is truly a failure. It becomes a life experience. In turn, that will help you along the next time you attempt any particular challenge.
Whether you’re looking to build a blog or working on your book, testing your mettle is always a bonus.
So, how do we get started with this particular writing challenge?
Maintaining a Publishing Schedule for Six Months
First, we’re going to aim for a six-month challenge. That may sound like a lot of time to some folks, but it’s a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things.
Why six months? Because we’re looking to build a habitual writing routine while also engaging our target audiences. It can take three to six months for a high-quality blog post to gain traffic from Google and other search engines, as well.
So, if I’m starting the challenge today, it’ll end the first week of February. However, I plan to maintain the schedule for much longer.
The Number of Posts Scheduled
Notice that we are looking at “publishing” blog posts, not “writing.” This means you can work on them any time you’d like, but maintain when they go live.
For example, my goal is to publish three posts per week; one on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 9:30 am (Mountain).
You don’t have to publish as much, though. If you’re new to blogging, it may take you a bit to gain momentum. Later on, you’ll find the best times and frequency to publish based on how people interact with your website. In my case, it’s the times I listed above.
The only thing I would suggest, however, is to make your goals realistic to your current situation. Not everyone has the time to write five blog posts per week. Base your goals on what you physically have time for by putting in maximum effort.
Setting Aside Appropriate Time to Write
Here is where things get tricky for a lot of folks. The whole point of this challenge is to build writing routines that work with your schedule. For those with children, you’ll find this extremely difficult to manage over the long term.
Setting aside appropriate time to write means you need to have an idea about how long it takes you to write any given piece of content.
For instance, I know that it usually takes me an hour to write about 1100 words. So, if I am aiming to write an in-depth WordPress tutorial, I’d schedule at least two hours. That’s because I include my own screenshots, which can take a bit of time.
Write a few posts yourself and get an idea of how long you need. Maybe write a few practice posts before you start your own challenge.
When creating a writing routine, time is perhaps the most valuable commodity. You need to make sure you have enough of it and discover the best time for you to write.
1,200 Words or Better
For this writing challenge, I’m aiming for 1200 words or more per blog post. This is based purely on my experience about how well content works for my specific audience and the depth in which I dive into any given topic.
Now, you should never force a word count by filling your post with fluff and filler. In fact, filler can result in a negative experience for both your readers and the search engine bots. So, don’t try to make a mountain out of a molehill. Some topics just don’t have enough meat to them.
With that being said, nearly any blog post can be expanded upon to add more context to the content.
For example, let’s say you are writing a tutorial about setting up contact forms in WordPress. Afterward, you can add more to the word count by also including three alternative contact form plugins the reader might want to try instead. Or, you could include an FAQ about contact forms or the plugin featured in your tutorial.
My point is that it’s easy to reach certain word counts while adding value to the article. All it takes is a bit of creative thinking outside of the box.
Committing to Yourself and the Blog
Another vital aspect to this challenge is developing commitment, not just to the content but also to yourself. What I mean by this is realizing that you are a writer and are working to engage your particular audience. After all, they are your primary concern.
If you don’t want people to read your stuff, why write?
Part of this commitment to yourself is also realizing when you need downtime. We’re trying to build positive writing habits, not burn ourselves out. That’s why it’s imperative to schedule content writing according to what you can physically handle.
A challenge is more than just meeting an arbitrary goal. It’s also about finding your limitations and improving upon yourself. It’s about what you can handle and what you’re capable of achieving.
No Generative AI
It should go without saying, but a writing challenge does not include the use of generative AI. Remember, we are challenging ourselves, not the server power of ChatGPT.
Now, I find it’s acceptable to use assistive AI, such as spelling and grammar checkers. Perhaps AI can give you an idea of what to write about based on data regarding topics and trends. Just make sure that you are the one who is writing the content and creating the titles.
Some die-hard bloggers and writers avoid AI at all costs. I tend to side with tools that base information on actual data. It’s nothing I can’t do with a spreadsheet; only AI can crunch the numbers far faster than I can.
And even then, I rarely use AI to come up with ideas for my blog. I use analytical and keyword search tools for ideas.
The bottom line is that AI has never and will never write a single line of my blog posts, books, or video scripts. I am a writer. Why would I use something that takes away from the very thing I enjoy doing?
What This Writing Challenge Boils Down To
You can follow a different layout if you wish based on your abilities and time allotment. For me, the challenge comes down to:
- Publishing three blog posts per week: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 9:30 am.
- From August 3, 2026 to February 5, 2027
- Averaging more than 1200 words per post
- It doesn’t matter when I actually write them, just when they are scheduled
Perhaps the most difficult part for some is setting up time to write. In my case, I’m going to aim for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but schedule them a week ahead. That way, if something happens and I don’t have time to write on any certain day, I can catch up throughout the week.
In reality, I could write all three blog posts on a Saturday and call it good.
5 Benefits of This Writing Challenge
As I said earlier, there are several benefits for virtually any challenge you create for yourself. The trick is to make it somewhat difficult. After all, the whole point of a challenge is to challenge yourself.
But even if you fail, there is always something to learn about yourself and your writing. Then, you can take steps to fix those issues to improve.
OK, what are some benefits of a writing challenge for consistency?
1. Writing Practice
One of the reasons why I built this particular blog was to practice writing. Everything I learned about AP Style English and search engine optimization was put into every post in the hopes that I could get better. The end result was a 14-year-long career that had some great moments.
As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.” The more you work on anything in life, the better you become. If you want to be a stellar writer, practice on your own by challenging yourself in various ways.
2. Gaining an Audience
Thanks to AI Overviews, connecting with humans is more important than ever. This means gaining an audience who will stick with you and who appreciates your content. You can’t rely on search engines alone.
Consistently publishing content is a good way to keep them interested. It’s easy to lose readers when you don’t publish often, especially when some of them are more likely to forget who you are.
3. Creating Good Writing Habits
Throughout the challenge, you should have a base for managing good writing habits. It may take a little bit of time to get into your groove, which is why I suggest a six-month challenge. But the more you write, the easier it’ll be to get into a good flow.
In reality, it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to form a new habit, depending on the individual. According to Scientific American, the average for forming a habit is roughly 66 days. So, consistent habits are not something we can develop overnight.
4. Building Research Skills (optional)
Not every blog needs to fit a specific niche. I know lots of folks who simply write about their day. But if you’re focusing on being an expert in any given field and anticipating to eventually make money from your blog, you’ll need a focus.
Consistently publishing content means to consistently research the topics. And the more often you explore different avenues for that research, the better you’ll become. Of course, this also includes vetting the sources of that research to make sure they’re credible.
5. Dealing with Deadlines
Lastly, giving yourself strong deadlines to follow is good if you plan on becoming a professional writer, blogger, or author. This means developing time management skills, logically dealing with setbacks, and getting your “work” done in a timely manner.
Keep in mind that your next piece of content is important and needs to be published before a certain date, even if that means doomscrolling less, playing fewer games, or watching less television.
Remember, this is an exercise in consistency, not how many excuses you can come up with each day for not writing.
Writing Challenge FAQs
Yes. However, most social sites don’t prioritize posts that take users off the platform. So, don’t expect a huge following from sites like Threads, Twitter, or Facebook.
Anything that interests you, actually. As I said, I know people who simply blog about their day and have huge followings. I blog about blogging and self-publishing, while also having sites for health and fitness and gaming. It all depends on what piques your interest for the long haul.
Consistency matters to search engines, like Google, as well as anyone subscribed to or following your blog. Being consistent keeps audiences coming back and may contribute to a better spot during a search. It’s like knowing when a business is open. How do you feel if you arrive and find out that the person manning the store isn’t there when the sign said they would be?
The deeper you dive into a topic, the better for your readers and search engines. However, you don’t have to put in as much, especially if the topic is pretty light to begin with. I strive for higher word counts simply to give people as much information about a topic as I can. But I’ve seen others publish posts with just a few sentences and several pictures. It depends on what your audience wants.
Absolutely not. Generative AI is not art, as it merely replicates what has already been created. Artistic expression has more to do with passion, emotion, and nuance; three things AI will never fully grasp.
Making money from a blog is more nuanced than simply publishing content. There are a lot of strategies and methods to consider, and most will have to center around the type of audience you’re trying to accumulate. The short answer is yes, but with an asterisk. Consistency will certainly help, as you drive more people to your website.
You’re only limited by your imagination and what you want to accomplish. In this case, I want to work on getting back into the habit of routinely blogging. You could challenge yourself to write a certain number of words if you want to practice typing. Maybe you want to get more creative and challenge yourself to write a short story based on an image you found on Instagram. Flex that imagination.
Let’s Work Some Magic!
Six months might sound like a long time, but it’s really not. It all depends on how frequently you can blog and how much time you have available. If you can only swing one post per week, then so be it. The idea is not to be uber productive, but to build strong writing habits and routines.
Once we are able to sustain a certain workflow for writing, then the magic can happen. But it’s always a good idea to have a solid base to stand on with consistency in publishing.
Write when you can and keep the flow going for your blog. Even publishing a post per week is better than nothing at all.
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