This is actually my second attempt at a blog post for today. I had a whole other post half-written, when I realized:

a) It was too complex and esoteric for most people to care about

b) It was better suited to a Master’s thesis in literature than actual helpful writing advice

The craft of writing can be learned. What often makes the difference between a writer and a non-writer are the ways in which they deal with the challenges of actually getting to the writing itself.

I was a lonely kid a lot of the time. Because of that background, it’s perhaps even more meaningful to me in adulthood when I find myself in a group that shares and enhances my own interests. It’s a stereotype that writers are curmudgeonly loners. I’m not convinced of that. And even if writers need to isolate in order to make the time to create, I find time and again that writers also treasure a sense of community. This can show up in many ways.

This week I started something new. I wanted more accountability for my writing time, since by the end of last year it seemed that whatever time I set aside for writing got taken up by something else. Another task or project always crept in, and it was easier to do that than sit down to write.

So this week, I decided to make myself publicly accountable.

Lately we’ve had a respite from the heat here on the East Coast – but the Southwest is still baking, as are other parts of the country. And I’m sure we will have plenty of days ahead when it’s so hot my brain feels like it’s melting and my will to do anything evaporates and I flop on the couch like a fish on dry land (although with our humidity, it will feel anything but dry).

During these “dog days” of summer, it can be hard to find any writing motivation, and even well-established routines are hard to maintain. Sometimes summer is a great time to get big chunks of writing done, but sometimes it becomes even harder to squeeze it in around vacations and upended schedules.

This past weekend I went on a long-weekend trip to see family for Easter. Like many other people, I haven’t been able to see my extended family regularly for a while, so it was kind of a big deal. While there, I did lots of other things, but one thing I didn’t do was writing.

It’s snowy/sleety/icy here today. I spent an hour and a half shoveling slush from my walks and driveway (bonus: I got a killer workout). The groundhog has officially declared six more weeks of winter. (I live in New England, where we realistically have more like 8-10 more weeks of winter. Not that I’m counting.) We’re in that long dreary pre-spring time where nothing much seems to be happening, which is especially true in this ongoing pandemic.

Thus, it is the perfect time to start a new Challenge.

Are you a Writer? 

What’s your immediate answer, when I ask that question? Is it a resounding “YES!”? Or a quieter, “Well, maybe… sort of…” or even “Not yet, because…”

If, like me, you’ve set your writing goals for the year, it’s important to start the year off with the right mindset, and foremost is thinking about our identities as writers.