life

The Types Of Blog Posts You’ll See On WordPress, According To Me

/ Stuart Danker / 216 Comments

Type of blog posts - A group of divers standing on the beach

So I’ve never missed a day of browsing the Reader for at least two years now, and I’ve now profiled every type of blog post with utmost discrimination, much like the TSA.

What I’ve learned is that we all fall into certain categories—archetypes if you will—and today I’m going to share them with you.

But don’t feel offended if you belong in any of these groups, because it’s all just a bit of fun. Besides, if you don’t like it, you’ve already lumped yourself into the party-pooper group, and you wouldn’t want that, right?

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Here’s Why I’m Using This Boring And Uninformative Title

/ Stuart Danker / 106 Comments

A woman in glasses staring out the window with a bored look

Hoo boy, are you in for a treat today.

You’re probably wondering why you’re here, or if this post is going to be a waste of time. Let me tell you in advance that yes, you could very well waste ten minutes of your life here (or however long it takes for you to read 1,000 words), or you could have the ten funnest minutes.

I don’t know which it’ll be. The only way to find out is to read on.

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Five Things I Miss Most About Having A Writing 9–5

/ Stuart Danker / 79 Comments

An open office workspace with large desks and hanging lights

You’d think I’d know what I want in a writing career after spending some ten years of cutting my teeth in wordsmithery. Ha. Ha ha. Hahahaha.

What happened instead is me flitting from one possibility to another, not really committing to an actual path. Do I want to pursue fiction? Or freelance writing? Am I looking to be an editor? Or remain a writer?

I don’t know.

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Don’t Tell Me You Don’t Think These Thoughts When You Write

/ Stuart Danker / 109 Comments

A woman with a beret lying down on a table

So you’re writing—which, if you’re me, means going down the YouTube rabbit hole for five hours—and you’re overcome by a bunch of emotions and thoughts that shouldn’t be part of the deal.

Sometimes, these thoughts discourage you from writing. Other times, they could even make you doubt your worth as a writer.

If you’re going through a similar thing right now, fret not because I have just the thing for you. Today we’re going to put these thoughts under the spotlight and help you realise that you’re not alone, and that it’s all just part of the process.

And perhaps we should start with the most common thought, which is…

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I Read Someone Else’s Journal And It’s Teaching Me How To Live Life

/ Stuart Danker / 132 Comments

A row of stone statues in a library

You know what I love more than journalling? Reading other people’s journals.

What’s with the look? You’ve probably done the same, or at least know someone who did. Anne Frank’s diary, perhaps? Leonardo da Vinci’s? Sylvia Plath’s?

Anyway, the journal in question (Meditations by Marcus Aurelius) is a couple thousand years old, so I doubt that there’s any invasion of privacy. Besides, Meditations is loaded with so much wisdom that it’d be a waste not to share it with the world.

Here’s my best takeaway to entice you to read more: No matter how separated we are by time and culture, we all still share the same fears, hopes, and desires.

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