Blogging: When to Write

If you're a new blogger, you may be wondering how often you should post something new.  Of course, this will always be up to you.  It's not like you have to sign a contract, promising to write something five times a week or you'll be fired as a blogger forever.  Blogging is for your enjoyment, and if you don't feel like blogging for a month, nobody is going to make you.
Most new bloggers end up overwhelming themselves by deciding they will write at least one blog post per day.  If you aren't used to writing something that often, this is a huge commitment to make and can quickly become something that is no longer enjoyable.  Instead of overwhelming yourself, make a reasonable goal, like: I will post three new things a week for the next month.  At the end of the month, if you're satisfied with your writing schedule, keep it.  If you want to start writing more or less often, then change your schedule.  Do what feels comfortable for you.
Whatever you do, you don't want to burn yourself out on blogging before you've hardly begun.  I've watched several brand new bloggy friends start out their blogs while full of fervor and excitement, posting once or twice a day, but by the end of a month or even a few weeks, they've burned themselves out.  "I have to write something today because my followers expect at least one post a day, but I'm super busy.  I'd better just scribble something out real quick..."  When you feel rushed and overwhelmed, not only does blogging become a chore instead of something fun, but the quality of your writing will also decrease dramatically.
Like I said above, make a schedule for your writing.  Decide ahead of time what days each week you'll post something onto your blog.  For example: post something new every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  If you miss or add an extra day here or there, no problem, but this way, you'll know when to write and your readers will know when to come back to see what you've written.
I've been blogging for almost two years now, so I've come to the point where I try to share something new every day.  Occasionally I'll miss a day (as some of you have probably noticed) and occasionally I'll post more than one entry in a single day.  I write a lot, and my blog is an excellent outlet for the words swimming around in my head.
Most blogging sites allow you to write a blog entry that can be published in the future, meaning that today you could write three blog posts and schedule them to be published tomorrow, next week, and next month.  I schedule my posts like that often because my inspiration usually comes and goes in sporadic bursts.  I write several entries in one day and then I might not write anything for my blog the next day.  For example, I am writing this little article on April 29.  I'll probably share this with all of you in mid-May.  When you schedule your posts ahead of time, it can relieve some of the stress about feeling like you don't have enough time or inspiration to keep up with your blogging schedule.  You'll always be ahead.
If you've read everything I have to say and you still want to try to start out your blog writing something new every day, then I encourage you to use a blogging challenge.  I've taken two blogging challenges in the last year and they've both been a lot of fun.  This one I borrowed from a fellow blogger and this one I wrote on my own.  Feel free to use either of these challenges on your own blog and let me know so I can read your answers.
A blogging challenge usually consists of one question to answer every day for thirty days.  A question is a great prompt to help inspire you to write something new each day and there will be a better chance you won't get burned out with blogging.
Also remember, if you begin to feel burned out with your blog, then take a break.  You might feel pressured to keep up with your schedule, but your readers will understand that you need to take a rest from writing.  Everyone knows how stressful life can become.  It's much better to stop blogging for a few days than to stop blogging forever.  If your writer's block lasts for more than a couple of weeks, it may be time to sit down and force yourself to write.  At times, all it takes to crack a heavy bout of writer's block is... well, writing.
More than anything, try to have fun.  If blogging becomes something that is no longer fun, then there's no longer a point to keeping a blog.  This needs to be something you enjoy.  While keeping a regular blogging schedule may help you achieve more followers, it isn't that important.  If a schedule is what burns you out of blogging, then don't use one.
When it comes to blogging, write whenever it makes you happy.  Don't ever feel pressured because of your own blog.