I'm Answering the (Bear) Blog Questions Challenge

13 Jan 2025 #writing

I’m not pouring a bucket of cold water over my head, but I’m doing this challenge.

I found it in Kev Quirk’s blog. And he found it on somebody else’s blog. But the challenge started on Bear Blog. Ava started it.

But since I don’t have a blog on that platform, I’m doing this challenge here instead. Just like Kev on his own blog.

Here I go:

Why did you start blogging in the first place?

I started blogging as an excuse to become a better coder.

Probably in the early 2010s, back in my first job, I googled “how to be a better developer.” And among the many options, I found “start a blog.”

Then, years later, at my second job, I didn’t want to throw away a couple of hours of Googling while looking for options to finish a task. And that’s how I started writing and blogging.

I already wrote about how I started my blog here.

What platform are you using to manage your blog and why did you choose it?

I use Jekyll on GitHub pages.

That was the easiest and cheapest alternative I found back in 2018. And, I spent a couple of days, or maybe a week, looking for the right template and theme to start.

Have you blogged on other platforms before?

No. I wrote my first online piece ever here.

But I’ve guest blogged on Exception Not Found and collaborated with two software companies to write on their Medium publications and official sites.

These days, I cross-post on dev.to and Medium. But my blog is my central hub. All my ideas in some shape or form end up here.

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’m a plain text fan.

I keep all my drafts, posts, and ideas on Notable. I use a system of tags. I have one tag for post ideas. And once I turn an idea into a post, I use another tag.

Once a post is ready, I log into GitHub, create a new file, and paste my text there.

That’s how I blog in a nutshell. But here’s my blogging workflow more in-depth.

When do you feel most inspired to write?

Short answer: Anytime. But mostly, in the mornings.

I tend to write in the mornings. That’s when I feel the most productive and my energy is at its peak. I’m kind of a morning person.

But, I always have something to write. Inspiration can hit at any time.

It has happened that right after I put my head on my pillow, an idea comes and I have to rush to write it somewhere. Also, while taking a walk. That’s my trick to avoid writer’s block.

Do you publish immediately after writing, or do you let it simmer a bit as a draft?

No. I have a queue of posts. Right now, I have around 20 posts that are ready to publish.

I start my writing sessions by editing and proofreading my last post. Then I start writing any of my post ideas.

What’s your favorite post on your blog?

I’ve written around ~200 posts. I don’t have a favorite. Well, that’s what every mom and dad answer when they’re asked about their favorite child.

But if I could remove all my posts and keep a handful of them, I’d keep my series on Unit Testing.

Any future plans for your blog? Maybe a redesign, a move to another platform, or adding a new feature?

Seth Godin has always inspired me. He’s been writing daily for ~20 years.

And since November 2024, I started writing daily about programming and other subjects. In fact, I created a new tag, /misc, to dump posts about all other subjects. My challenge is to write 100 daily posts. If I stick to my rhythm, I’m done next February 9th.

Chances are I’m keeping the daily rhythm after those 100 posts.

I’m too lazy to redesign my blog. I’m a black-and-white fan, so I’m sticking to the left pane. I’d like to add a scrolling bar and include more menu entries.

Oh! My own domain. I tried to buy one in the past. And I found out there’s a soccer player, a singer, and a director with my name.

I’d like to give Substack a try, but it would be for anything else apart from coding.

Parting Thought

I owe my career growth to learning foreign languages and writing.

Writing has opened doors for me. I made my first side income thanks to my blog. I skipped the hiring line when I applied to my last job.

In fact, I don’t have a coding portfolio. My blog has done more for me. Always write about what you do at your work. That’s better than an old-fashioned CV.