To Write

To write consistently. Or not. That is a constant unconscious question that has appeared over and over again in my life.

The intent has always been there, but the action perhaps lacking as life got in the way. What did this include you ask. Well, from work, family and friends, the pandemic, travel and the comings and goings of life in itself. Time just flew by.

That is no excuse. As Stephen King in his book Just Writing, and many of my friends would fastidiously declare to me.

It was during the pandemic that my friend Ren mentioned Vocal as a fantastic writing platform. Something that could get me motivated, and get me into a consistent writing practice. It sounded like a good idea.

I googled Vocal online, hemmed, and hawed and then finally joined. The site seemed cool with some great writers, and Challenges with deadlines. I wrote a few things, but work got in the way, along with my writing fears. Mainly that I was not good enough. As humans, I think we all have our own shark (s) of fear, whether we consciously acknowledge it or not. And what I learned is that I have perfectionist tendencies which cause me not to start at all. Yes, some people call this procrastination.

But that is not the case at all, as I have many priorities on my plate, At times, rather to ruminate, and write stories, not on paper, but in my head.

Writing stories in my head was a comment from a friend in Halifax. She said I was really good at it, so why not write it all down. After reading this challenge, this question came to mind. Why was I creating stories in my head, and not writing them down, whether on my phone, my laptop or just traditional pen /pencil and paper?

It's January the first month of a new year - the first month of 2024, and my intention is clear. It is to get into a consistent writing practice each day, even for a few moments with the hope that the momentum will pick up. And if a day slips by, I will not skip another day, but write something, just anything, even if they are small snippets.

Sometimes I like to dictate small snippets into my phone. It could be an observation from being outside observing and interacting with the world, a saying that shows up on Instagram, or something random that pops into my head. The action of just writing a few words, I hope would lead to a few more sentences.

And with that intent to just sit and write. I would need to block out the world, especially the rabbit hole of the internet. If any of you can relate, you know it is easier said than done.

So perhaps if I am open and honest to myself, I may not write each day, but my intent is to write each week. The Vocal challenges are a source of motivation, along with a writing group. But one of my biggest goals is tackle a pile of old stories and re-edit them throughout 2024. A few may show up on Vocal, while others may just be re-typed to be edited at a future date.

My advice as the new year begins, is to Just Write!