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The Great American Financial Blog Post That Wasn’t

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Mr. Groovy
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Oh, man, writing is hard.

I had this great post in the works for today. The name of it was—get this—”Rich, Free, and Poor.”

Doesn’t that title just grab you?

And it wasn’t clickbait, at all. This post is bursting with profound insights. Rockstar worthy insights, mind you! The only problem is that it’s an incoherent mess.

A wit once remarked that “writing is thinking on paper.” Well, if that’s the case, my brain went on strike yesterday. I spent literally eight hours trying to turn my penetrating thoughts into a cogent and readable post, and I failed miserably. Your eyes will not be gazing upon the great American financial blog post today.

But I do have part three of my Talking Trash with Claudia and Garrett from Two Cup House. So it wasn’t a total waste coming here today. Have a great weekend. Peace.

Comments

34 responses to “The Great American Financial Blog Post That Wasn’t”

  1. Lily | The Frugal Gene Avatar
    Lily | The Frugal Gene

    Lol oh my God so many times I have had the same thing. A 8 hour marathon on second guessing and wondering….will I be kicked out and ostracized by the community if I keep using the same adjectives….

    I enjoyed the cat videos intro haha. Not a waste!

    Reply
  2. Sean @ Frugal Money Man Avatar
    Sean @ Frugal Money Man

    It definitely happens!

    I recently wrote an entire blog post, read it over, then decided to delete it all…It was just garbage. Nothing flowed together, and I knew readers would have been extremely disappointed after reading it.

    It isn’t easy to write high quality content all the time, and it will always be a challenge!

    You produce great content routinely though, so I can’t wait for your next post:)

    Reply
    1. Mr. Groovy Avatar
      Mr. Groovy

      Thanks, Sean. I really appreciate your kind words. And thanks for letting me know that I’m not the only tortured writer out there. Who the heck loves to write! Yes, I’m with you, Sean. Sometimes it’s better walk away from hours of work than serve garbage.

      Reply
  3. Cubert Avatar
    Cubert

    Writer’s block. The bane of our blogging existence. Sometimes I like to go back into different friends’ blogs, copy chunks, and slap them together to make a masterpiece: A little dash of Groovy, a little dash of MMM, sprinkle in some Frugalwoods, and all the sudden I have a post about how you should drive your bicycle over an SUV driver’s toes on the way to your frugal hut deep in the woods.

    Reply
    1. steve poling Avatar
      steve poling

      i recently did an interview to another blogger and out of the Q&A came about a half-dozen potential essays.

      Reply
      1. Mr. Groovy Avatar
        Mr. Groovy

        Thanks, Steve. I got to remember this. Q&As are a great tool to provide content.

        Reply
    2. Mr. Groovy Avatar
      Mr. Groovy

      “A little dash of Groovy, a little dash of MMM, sprinkle in some Frugalwoods, and all the sudden I have a post about how you should drive your bicycle over an SUV driver’s toes on the way to your frugal hut deep in the woods.”

      A masterpiece, indeed! Oh, man, Cubert. You’re an amazing soul. And your brain isn’t too shabby either. Thanks for sharing your cure for writer’s block. It’s freakin’ brilliant. Here’s my next “emergency” post: Combine the analytical prowess of Sam (Financial Samurai) with the unbridled enthusiasm of Fritz (Retirement Manifesto) and then slather it with the whimsy of Bianca (Miss Mazuma). Now that will be one rollicking good post. Wow. I’m getting a CMLT just thinking about it.

      Reply
  4. Angela @ Tread Lightly Retire Early Avatar
    Angela @ Tread Lightly Retire Early

    Well now I want to read that post! Isn’t the point of retirement though to be able to walk away from something if it isn’t working? 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mr. Groovy Avatar
      Mr. Groovy

      Absolutely! Besides, I had to walk away for my health. I’m too old to pull an all-nighter.

      Reply
      1. steve poling Avatar
        steve poling

        Hah! I had finished my first masters degree and was working for the gubmint in DC when i started noticing i was getting tired every night at 11pm. i thought, “i’m not as young as I used to be. No more all-nighters for me.” About 5 months later I signed up at Johns Hopkins for a masters’ in computer science. By the time 2 years had gone by, I had thoroughly disabused myself of the former notion.

        If it’s important enough, you’ll do the all-nighter regardless of age. Of course, this’ll have consequences, like it did Thomas Edison.

        Reply
  5. steve poling Avatar
    steve poling

    I feel your pain. i’ve got a post that I’m sitting on for my own blog that I’m NOT publishing for the same reason. Trouble is that it’s incoherent because it is one post with 3 different killer ideas mashed up and they don’t really fit together. I should bite the bullet and make it 3 different posts.

    Just stick to One Thing per post. <–staple that to your forehead

    Reply
    1. Mr. Groovy Avatar
      Mr. Groovy

      LOL! I was thinking the exact thing when I finally admitted defeat. Sometimes you can ask a post to do too much.

      Reply
  6. Susan @ FI Ideas Avatar
    Susan @ FI Ideas

    I was just watching Seth Godin interviewed on Marie Forleo’s Marie TV. He said he writes like he talks, and nobody he knows gets talkers block. I am new to blogging and I feel that tongue-tied keyboard issue, when in real life you can’t shut me up. I feel for you. Maybe Seth can inspire you like he has me.

    I’m looking forward to “Rich, Free and Poor”. I’ll stay tuned!

    Reply
    1. Mrs. Groovy Avatar
      Mrs. Groovy

      Hey Bucket Babe & Susan, Thanks for trying to motivate the hubby. Not to make excuses for him, but for the Friday posts, he edits the Talking Trash episodes which still involves a learning curve. Sometimes he’s written his intro before, sometimes not. And we were away on Mon & Tues and caught with no internet! He’s not lacking ideas. I think he just ran out of mental steam last night!

      Power to those bloggers who have a real publishing schedule months out! That will never be us.

      Love the notebook idea — Mr. Groovy is never without one. And thanks for a heads up on the Seth Godin episode.

      Reply
    2. Mr. Groovy Avatar
      Mr. Groovy

      Hey, Susan. Thanks for passing along Seth’s tip. It does make a lot of sense. Perhaps I need to stop over-analyzing everything I write. Just let it flow. If it bombs, it bombs. I’ll be forgiven. We have a very supportive community here.

      Reply
  7. Mrs.Wow Avatar
    Mrs.Wow

    Good to know its not just me! I have so many great ideas that turn out as flops and other mediocre ideas that I contemplate deleting before publishing that turn out to great. Its funny how it all works out!

    Reply
    1. Mr. Groovy Avatar
      Mr. Groovy

      Indeed. I know it well, Mrs. WoW. There are times I think I have a Rockstar post on my hands and the blogging community just yawns. Then there are times when I hit publish and cringe–because I know the post is lame–but the blogging community loves it. Haha! Blogging is a fickle beast.

      Reply
  8. Caroline Avatar
    Caroline

    Love the title!
    I have so many post ideas, they sound awesome in my “head”, I just can’t get anything decent on paper!
    At least you had a good backup:)

    Reply
    1. Mr. Groovy Avatar
      Mr. Groovy

      Absolutely! Claudia and Garrett saved my backside this week.

      Reply
  9. Erik Avatar
    Erik

    It happens to the best of us… I have a few ideas in the queue if you ever need some brain inspiration 🙂

    Have a good weekend Groovys

    Reply
    1. Mr. Groovy Avatar
      Mr. Groovy

      I have may have to take you up on that, my friend. Thank you.

      Reply
  10. Budget On a Stick Avatar
    Budget On a Stick

    ROFL sometimes I write something and send it to the wife to review with the caption… “Does this make any sense?”

    If I had business cards they would read:
    Mr. BoaS
    Incoherent Mess

    Reply
    1. Mr. Groovy Avatar
      Mr. Groovy

      LOL! It’s nice to know I’m not the only incoherent mess out there. Made my day, BOAS. Thank you.

      Reply
  11. Joe Avatar
    Joe

    I had that moment earlier this week. I wanted to write a SAHD post and couldn’t get a coherent post together. Eventually, I just did a Q&A format and it worked pretty well. Whew!
    Keep trying. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mr. Groovy Avatar
      Mr. Groovy

      Thanks, Joe. I got to remember the Q&A format. Sounds like it’s a lifesaver for the tormented blogger.

      Reply
  12. Frank Avatar
    Frank

    It happens; You must have been thinking about the house you guys are building.

    Reply
    1. Mr. Groovy Avatar
      Mr. Groovy

      Maybe. Our first house plan/idea crashed and burned. Now Mrs. G has me poring over the scores of house plans she has unearthed on the internet. Cuando termina?

      Reply
      1. Josh Avatar
        Josh

        En buen tiempo mi amigo.

        After the house plans, it’ll be what to put into it. Craigslist was our best friend when we built ours and we saved thousands of dollars by buying old cabinets and appliances that people were getting rid of.

        Some items needed some TLC, and it wasn’t as convenient as just going to Lowe’s but we enjoyed the frugal challenge.

        Reply
  13. Fritz @ The Retirement Manifesto Avatar
    Fritz @ The Retirement Manifesto

    Ah man, you’re killing me. The Rockstar Post That Wasn’t. Great title, tho! 🙂 Funny how writing works. Sometimes the brain freezes, sometimes it flows.

    Hold that thought in your draft folder, it’s meant to be written, and you deserve that Rockstar! Also, love to see your Trash Talk expanding to more and more guests, love Two Cup House!!

    Good luck thawing that brilliant mind of yours. Must be the cold weather…..

    Reply
    1. Mr. Groovy Avatar
      Mr. Groovy

      Haha! Didn’t consider how the frigid weather affected my inner Mickey Spillane. That’s got to be the reason, though. If it weren’t for the 20 degrees outside, my Rockstar post would have flowed like honey.

      Reply
  14. Tom @ Dividends Diversify Avatar
    Tom @ Dividends Diversify

    I have those times too Mr. Groovy. However, I suspect you have those moments and days when the writing flows like a smooth red wine. Have a great weekend. Tom

    Reply
    1. Mr. Groovy Avatar
      Mr. Groovy

      Thanks, Tom. And I think you stumbled upon the reason for yesterday’s fail. No red wine! If I only imbibed a little, the slippery, oleaginous thoughts oozing throughout my brain may have congealed. Have a great weekend, my friend.

      Reply
      1. BucketBabe Avatar
        BucketBabe

        It’s most definitely the lack of grapes in your diet! And they say fish is brain food. 😀

        I keep a notebook at all times and just jot ideas down as they come because all my posts (so far 3! lol) have come at the strangest times….laundry time, grocery shopping time, yada yada.

        Reply
        1. Mr. Groovy Avatar
          Mr. Groovy

          I used to be better at jotting down my ideas. Always had a little notebook in my back pocket. Got start kicking it old school again. And, yes, thanks for reminding me that fish is brain food. There are some cans of anchovies in the pantry crying out to me!

          Reply

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