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6 Ways to Break Through Writer’s Block

Writing a blog can be a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Sometimes the ideas are there and the words flow. At other times, your mind is blank, motivation waivers, and the words are—gone. Here are some exercises and ideas to help you get back on track and keep both you and your readers coming back for more: 1. The Cliff Hanger One of the easiest ways to keep your readers (and yourself) interested is by enlisting in a method used by most prime time television shows worldwide: the cliff hanger. You don’t have to match the drama in your life to that of a soap, but leaving a little mystery at the end of a post (even if you know the outcome) can draw readers back to your page. This doesn’t have to be a complex storyline, but simply a statement or two about future plans. If you know you’re going to a festival in a week’s time or that there is a special event at work, mention it in advance! Perhaps there is a local holiday or a wedding that you will attend in the near future… creating a little build-up for the event will not only bring your reader’s back but give you incentive to actually write about it! 2. Photos First It has been said (just a handful of times) that a photograph is worth 1,000 words. If you enjoy photographing your journey use your pictures as inspiration. When writer’s block gets to you, pick a photograph that is meaningful to you and...

23 October, 2016 / 0 Comments

4 Ways to Take More Fascinating Culture Photos

We live in a visual world these days. As digital cameras and cameras on phones have become the norm, it’s also become the norm to visually document everything. When you are writing a blog post, people don’t just want to read what you write, they want to see it, too. You may be worried that since you don’t have a high quality camera, that you have to settle for mediocre images. The truth is, it’s not the gear that makes a photo great, it’s the eye that sees it, frames it and captures it. Here are some tips to improve your photographic eye. Look for Light A monk is illuminated by butter lamps, or candles, in Boudhanath, Nepal. Rather than using a flash, which is distracting, I used the light from the candles to create a moodier picture. Photography is all about light, so keep an eye on where your light sources are. Whether it’s the high-noon sun or buzzing fluorescent tubes or the glow of a fire, knowing what kind of light you are working with can help you look for interesting scenes to frame. Using light and shadows in novel ways makes photos more interesting. An easy way to jazz up that sunset picture is to put someone in the frame; as long as you are still focusing on and exposing for the sky, they’ll turn out as a silhouette. Using objects that cast shadows, like window blinds, can punch up photos taken indoors too. Don’t be afraid to move your positioning around to get...

06 October, 2016 / 1 Comment

September Photo Challenge Highlights: #MyTown

In this edition of our monthly Photo Challenge round up, you'll get a glimpse into different towns around the world. What is the #baphotochallenge? Photo challenge participants get 10 prompts by e-mail on the 1st of the month. They then share their best photo responses on their favorite social media account. All the prompts this month relate back to the theme of "My Town." The goal is to share captivating images online, with meaningful captions, in order to promote cross-cultural understanding in a fun, simple way. [button size='large' style='' text='Join our monthly Photo Challenge!' icon='' icon_color='' link='https://www.bloggingabroad.org/photo-challenge/sign-up/' target='_blank' color='' hover_color='' border_color='' hover_border_color='' background_color='' hover_background_color='' font_style='' font_weight='' text_align='center' margin=''] Note: If you are viewing this post by e-mail or feed reader, please click here to see the full post properly formatted. #window [vc_row][vc_column width='1/2'] [/vc_column][vc_column width='1/2'] Some of the coolest #windows I find when strolling through #mytown. I wonder what this building looked like in its prime. Who else peered through this window before me? I love the brilliance of colors and the history and stories held in this structure. #peacecorps #peacecorpsnamibia #txtonam #namibia #okahandja #movingwrightalong #baphotochallenge A photo posted by «–« k r y s t a l »–» (@movingwrightalong) on Sep 11, 2016 at 9:22am PDT [/vc_column][/vc_row] #transportation [vc_row][vc_column width='1/2'] @bloggingabroad Whether traveling from the village or within #Moldova's #capitol #Chișinău, there are multiple #ways to get around #mytown. #Rutieras (mini buses) are everywhere (seen on your #left) but so are trolley buses ( #old like the one I am on in your bottom right and #new like the one coming towards me in the same...

29 September, 2016 / 1 Comment

How to Schedule Posts Ahead of Time in Instagram

There are a number of social media scheduling tools that allow users to pre-schedule their posts on Instagram. The only one I'm aware of where you can actually "set it and forget it" is an Australian company called Schedugr.am. They found a loop hole to publish images and videos for you at whatever time you specify. They also charge a monthly fee and, in most cases, it will only be worthwhile for businesses (not so much for individuals publishing personal posts). Any other social media scheduler does not have the ability to post for you on Instagram, so what you do instead is set up the image and text for your post, and it will send a reminder to your smartphone at the specified time. You still have to manually hit publish. Scheduling photo posts on Hootsuite At Blogging Abroad, we run a monthly photo challenge that sends out 10 prompts by e-mail on the first of each month. Scheduling posts can really come in handy with something like this. I (Michelle) actually schedule out all my photo responses to the #BAphotochallenge in advance, and it takes only about 20 minutes. With a tool like Hootsuite (Buffer is another option), you can connect up to three social media accounts for free. With facebook and twitter, the posts you schedule will publish later automatically. With Instagram, you'll need to install the Hootsuite app on your phone and manually publish the photo, but it will send you a notification at whatever time you designate with the photo and all...

23 September, 2016 / 0 Comments

Creative Ideas to Share Your Time Abroad

A common obstacle that many bloggers run into is running out of inspiration. After a few months or years, the newness wears off, work routines settle in and the cultural differences are second nature, so blog posts frequency trails off until it’s time to go home. The blogger returns home and reminisces about their time abroad and goes back to their blog to try and remember all the little things they forgot about. And the posts kind of peter out. That doesn’t have to be the end of the blog though! Blogging abroad doesn’t just have to happen while the blogger is physically away from their home country; blogging abroad can encompass all of the things relating to time spent away. And with the wide variety of creative expressions out there, blogging doesn’t just have to be words, pictures and videos. Here are some ideas on how to creatively process experiences abroad, even after you’ve returned home. Compose Songs Maybe you spent your downtime abroad learning how to play some simple songs on the guitar. Or maybe you picked up a local instrument to foster a connection with your school’s music class. Or maybe you were making music for years before you went overseas. Either way, writing songs can be a great way to commemorate some of those relationships or experiences that are hard to explain through a blog post. Keith May wrote and recorded an entire album, “127 Daughters,” about his time teaching English at a university in China, and is reaching a new...

15 September, 2016 / 0 Comments

August Photo Challenge Highlights: #Food

We're back with another edition of our monthly Photo Challenge round up! What is the #baphotochallenge? In a nut shell: Photo challenge participants get 10 prompts by e-mail and share their best photo responses on their favorite social media account. All the prompts this month relate back to the theme of "Food." The goal is to share captivating images online, with meaningful captions, in order to promote cross-cultural understanding in a fun, simple way. We hope many more will join in to share the stories of their host countries by either using ten of our previous prompts, or signing up to get a fresh set of prompts on the 1st of each month. [button size='large' style='' text='Join our monthly Photo Challenge!' icon='' icon_color='' link='https://www.bloggingabroad.org/photo-challenge/sign-up/' target='_blank' color='' hover_color='' border_color='' hover_border_color='' background_color='' hover_background_color='' font_style='' font_weight='' text_align='center' margin=''] Note: If you are viewing this post by e-mail or feed reader, please click here to see the full post properly formatted. #Sweets [vc_row][vc_column width='1/2'] For just 100 UGX, 3 cents, you can enjoy #sweets from the market. It's my first time to buy a sweetie from. Uganda, and I will inform you it tastes much like a sucker in America. #peacecorps #Uganda #howiseepc #ThisIsMyAfrica #market #baphotochallenge @bloggingabroad A photo posted by Bethany (@bethanyinuganda) on Aug 2, 2016 at 3:32am PDT [/vc_column][vc_column width='1/2'] So excited for this month's @bloggingabroad #BAPhotoChallenge theme: #Food! One of my favorite topics! I got the theme while sitting at the bus station waiting to travel to Romania. Here are some of the #sweets found at...

30 August, 2016 / 0 Comments

4 Tips for Sharing Cultural Posts on Social Media

These days, most of us document our lives digitally, sharing online updates with high school acquaintances, that guy you hung out with on a solo weekend trip to an island, your cousins who moved to Europe and, in some cases, total strangers. As someone who is living abroad, the vast majority of the people you are connected with through social media won’t have the chance to experience another culture in-depth and first hand. But second hand, from your pictures, videos and stories is a way that your connections can experience a bit about your community. Not only that, but social media posts are a much more passive way for them to learn about the culture that you are immersed in. Your posts will pop up in feeds they already have a habit of checking, as opposed to actively clicking the link to your blog. This is why taking a little extra time to consciously craft your posts on social media can be so important. Picture Captions Transport here can be costly for most people, so nearly everyone will walk most places around town. The things they bring with them are carried on their heads, as indeed it is the most efficient way to do so, because all of the weight is supported through your spine and legs. With years of practice, many people are even able to balance the things on their heads without holding them. #community #streetlife #baphotochallenge #fishingtown #frozenfish #winneba #ghana #westafrica #africa #everydayafrica #everydayghana @bloggingabroad A photo posted by Christine Bedenis (@noon_thirty) on Jul 25, 2016...

07 August, 2016 / 0 Comments

4 Mistakes To Avoid on Your Cross-Culture Blog

There are plenty of benefits to blogging while you're abroad. But if you aren't careful, you could run into some pitfalls as well. To help you avoid the mistakes that we see over and over again on blogs around the world, we compiled this quick list to keep you on track: Missed Opportunities You will be hard pressed to find a more captive audience than when people are following your blog while you’re abroad. People want to live vicariously through your adventure, and they will be inspired by it. The true power of your blog is that it will multiply the number of people who get to benefit from what you’re experiencing abroad. You will inevitably be learning and growing through your cross-cultural exchanges, but so will your readers! Don’t miss the chance to multiply your impact by promoting cross-cultural understanding through your blog posts. Think of yourself as a digital Ambassador. You represent your home country to your host community. And you gather valuable insights from your host community to share with folks back home. You get to explore the best of both cultures and demonstrate their value to each other. You’ll likely become an expert in the downfalls of both cultures, as well, and will thus have the tricky responsibility of painting an honest and balanced picture for your readers. Too Much Info, Too Little Editing The people who read your blog will either be interested in you or what you're doing - or both - and there's no doubt that they'll want to hear...

02 August, 2016 / 0 Comments

July’s Photo Challenge Highlights: #Community

Welcome to our fourth monthly Photo Challenge round up! What is the #baphotochallenge? In a nut shell: Photo challenge participants get 10 prompts by e-mail and share their best photo responses on their favorite social media account. All the prompts this month relate back to the theme of "community." The goal is to share captivating images online, with meaningful captions, in order to promote cross-cultural understanding in a fun, simple way. We hope many more will join in to share the stories of their host countries by either using ten of our previous prompts, or signing up to get a fresh set of prompts on the 1st of each month. [button size='large' style='' text='Join our monthly Photo Challenge!' icon='' icon_color='' link='https://www.bloggingabroad.org/photo-challenge/sign-up/' target='_blank' color='' hover_color='' border_color='' hover_border_color='' background_color='' hover_background_color='' font_style='' font_weight='' text_align='center' margin=''] Note: If you are viewing this post by e-mail or feed reader, please click here to see the full post properly formatted. #StreetLife [vc_row][vc_column width='1/2'] These are the daily scenes of my #streetlife in El Oro. Kids playing in the streets, the beautiful ocean Boardwalk, or even catching iguanas in the park. I get to see something new everyday. #ecuador #howiseepc #baphotochallenge @bloggingabroad A photo posted by Melia Rae (@merae.cerr) on Jul 4, 2016 at 12:20pm PDT @bloggingabroad From the village #community to the city, #streetlife in #Moldova is bustling in the summer! #howIseePC #BAPhotoChallenge A photo posted by izzygirl (@izzie_gal) on Jul 5, 2016 at 3:58am PDT [/vc_column][vc_column width='1/2'] Transport here can be costly for most people, so...

29 July, 2016 / 0 Comments

Common Mistakes To Avoid On Your Blog’s About Page

As managers of a fantastic community of bloggers from around the world, we are regularly interacting with hundreds of different blogs. We've seen the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. Since our aim is to better equip folks who are bridging cultures through blogging, we wanted to share a few simple tweaks that could improve the effectiveness and quality of your blog. The About page There are a few foundational elements that every blog needs in order to connect effectively with readers. The "About page" is one of these key elements. An About page is one of the most important and most commonly viewed pages on almost any blog. It may go by different names (About Me, FAQs, etc.), but essentially, it introduces the readers to the blog and its author(s). Because so many readers visit the About page, bloggers should be very intentional about what is published there. Think about it from a new reader's perspective. What are they looking for? What do they need to know? To help you answer these questions and create a more effective blog, we've put together this list of the most common mistakes we've seen on blog About pages. Mistakes to avoid on your About page Not having one We were shocked to come across blogs that don't have any About page at all. As a new reader, we immediately look for more information about the author and when we can't find it, there's a big disconnect. Most often, we won't bother coming back. Granted, some folks prefer to remain anonymous, and there are...

17 July, 2016 / 0 Comments