The "Metacognitive" Blog Article

For the author, writing when camping is a part of his glamping.

I'm sure this has been done before--lots--but I don't know the name for the blogging technique where the blog writer/administrator writes an additional piece that utilizes content from earlier, similar posts. Metacognitive means "thinking about thinking," and I use the term for this post to describe a post that reflects on the content, themes, and ideas contained in a blog's prior articles. Since my most active blog at this time is my camping blog, Green Goddess Glamping, I will reference that blog for illustrative examples of "metacognitive blogging."

I created Green Goddess Glamping almost six months ago and have posted twenty-six articles as of now, mid January. Learning from my earlier blogs, I have limited my labels for posts to eight, hoping I never get over a dozen. Too many labels, I feel, become so cumbersome that the organizing device stops working. The labels I've created so far are the following: Camp Cooking, Camp Routines, Gearing Up, Glamping, Holiday Themes, The First Expeditions, Why a Tiny Trailer? and Tiny Trailer Owner Profiles.

As I'm writing this in January, camping season is on hiatus--either that or I camp in single digit to below-zero weather. Analyzing the articles I've written, I realize that some posts have similarities, and since my opportunities for camping travelogues are zeroed out right now, one writing opportunity for the GGG blog is to reflect and write retrospectives utilizing content from previous posts. One such recently published article, which analyzes the content of three earlier blog posts, is "Why Choose a Teardrop or Tiny Trailer?" These three original articles had some diversity, being labeled under the categories of Why a Tiny Trailer?, Glamping, and The First Expeditions. Although the original articles had diverse focus, each did include the theme of the rewards of minimalist trailer camping.

Developing "Why Choose a Teardrop or Tiny Trailer?" not only creates new content for the GGG camping (and also this) blog, I'm also directing readers back to earlier articles by providing links, thereby encouraging them to spend more time on my site. The camping article also utilizes keywords for search engines because the article focuses on a topic or current interest for my website's content: teardrop or tiny camping trailers; that focus is positive and not contrived because it is a relevant topic explored in a useful manner.

My parents' mode of travel on their honeymoon, 1946.

The concept or "recycling" or reusing previous content is not new. I remember reading a while back about a freelance writer who traveled to a city and experiencing its charms--and then wrote three articles for various publications: one about the tourist sites, one about food, and a third about one of the city's historical sites. The author explained this as simply an efficient use of time. The same can be said for revisiting previously written blog posts. Some (and perhaps most) will contain facets that were in shadow during the first telling but which can be revealed to good effect with a shift of perspective a new article provides.

All three camping articles I used for my new article dealt with concepts relating to having a fulfilling camping experience, an experience with "a balance of simplicity and comfort, ease and elegance." Each article illustrates a different facet of that positive, balanced camping experience. Each article provides examples of how camping in a tiny trailer provides a unique, satisfying camping experience.

• "Why Such a Tiny Trailer? Teardrop Owners Speak Out": From the level of expertise of tiny trailer owners, this article provides a diversity of experience and opinion.
• "How the Green Goddess Glamps": Exploring the concept of "glamorous camping," even minimalist trailer camping is shown to have a "cozy" glamour.
• "It's Not Just How Many Miles or Places": This more personal piece explores the idea that perspective and attitude are more important than equipment and technology for a positive camping experience.

My reflective, "metacognitive" overview of my camping experience as revealed in specific a blog post is first of all instructive to me, providing me with clues as to how I can personally increase the rewards of camping. It is instructive for me both in terms of personal pursuits and also as the owner of a tiny trailer. The focus of the article also increases its impact; by targeting a specific audience, the article differentiates itself from more general articles. If we write not only to teach but also to learn, then "metacognitive blogging" allows a writer to both reflect and publish, a win-win writing situation.