How Well Do You Work Under Pressure?

People who want to get into the business of professional blogging sometimes have the wrong notion that it’s all easy work. They see blogging not as a serious activity, but more akin to diary or journal writing, where one just posts whatever thoughts, feelings and ideas he has, and that he will earn from these.

Well, in some cases this might be true. But blogging for income is not always a walk in the park. If you want to make a business out of it, it is serious business. It’s hard work. Sometimes you don’t even get compensated well enough for your efforts. It’s not just writing, hitting publish, and waiting for the cash register to ring. After all, blogging is not just about writing, but also about connecting as well.

One big factor here is the pressure–both the pressure to write and the pressure to earn. This is usually the case when you are facing deadlines and posting schedules. This might also be the case when you are assigned to cover a certain event or topic, and you are hard pressed to be the first to provide coverage.

A lot of bloggers, especially those who work for networks, have probably learned to adapt to this type of setting. But some of us–mostly those with more artistically inclined writing, or those who prefer op-ed column type postings–probably don’t feel productive or inspired enough when there are external pressures.

In my case, I’m more of the latter. I work best when I’m able to focus on just writing, and not thinking of deadlines, ToDo lists and other distractions. Give me 30 undisturbed minutes in front of the computer monitor, with only the WordPress New Post page on my browser, then I can probably come up with a (hopefully) informative or thought provoking post. But when I’m required to publish a post on a certain day at a certain time, then most probably I will have to linger around, looking for a topic to write about, trying to collect my thoughts, and looking for information to back up my article. It would take me hours to finish this kind of post.

I also feel most productive when my energy levels are high. I envy the bloggers who have the energy to write several quality posts in a short span of time. Usually, the moment I publish a feature type post, I’m drained. Perhaps I need to manage my energy better. Perhaps I should learn to outline and plan my writing better, so I don’t end up only writing when inspiration hits me.

Which type of blogger are you? How well do you perform under pressure? Are you better under schedule, or do you wait for the muse to come calling? Moreover, does external pressure energize you, or does it drain you?