Building a habit hard. Building a habit as a writer is even harder.
I’ve always wanted to be one of those writers who picks up their pen for 15 minutes or longer a day, and pens something that eventually adds up to make something great.
It was easier when I was younger. I felt as if I had more ‘free’ time. Now with a full-time job that involves a lot of writing, adult responsibilities and routines that take up time, and the constant temptation to procrastinate (Hiya Netflix), I seem to have stopped. The past year, in particular, I’ve felt as if I’ve stagnated. I did just have writer’s block. I had a complete writer’s paralysis.
This year I’ve decided to step up.
One of my main writing goals in 2019 is to complete 100 days of consecutive writing.
It’s not a necessarily revolutionary challenge or one that is unfamiliar to many writers. In fact, the challenge was set up by Jenn Ashworth (a writer I love who gave an incredible keynote speech on courage at GrrrlCon a few years ago) as a counter to facing that writer’s paralysis head on. For Jenn, the challenge was less about word counts and more about showing up to write every single day. No matter how small, no matter the word count. The journey was more important than the output.
Jenn refers to it as ‘gentle productivity’. Low stakes writing, that allows you to let go of the fear, the paralysis and find the courage to be vulnerable with your creativity.
So, for the next 100 days, I’m stepping up. I will write every day until the 12th May 2019.
Between now and then I have a holiday in Spain, my birthday, and Easter with my family. No doubt last-minute social things will crop up, I’ll be stressed out with work, be exhausted from the gym, have too much ‘life admin’ to do. I may have a whole free day to write or just 5 minutes.
But I will write. Every. Single. Day.
I want to try and document this somewhere so there may be a final update post here on the blog. I will also be posting a few updates on Instagram (probably in my Stories) and Twitter too.
Wish me luck!
Ria Xx
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