Day 31: What I’ve Learned from #Write2014 So Far
So it is day 31 of the #Write 2014 challenge. Since it is also the first day of February (typically the time when folks have forgotten their new years commitments), I figured now would be a good opportunity to offer some encouragement to those who may be feeling discouraged about their writing progress thus far.
First and foremost, if you did not write every, single day in January 2014, it is OK! The goal is to write for 365 days. So whether that happens as of December 31, or February 10, 2015… it is all good. The whole point of #Write2014 is to offer a challenge in the most open and gentle way possible. The aim is to help folks realize that they can write, and they don’t need hours of time to do it. The goal is that with the support of a community, we can all achieve our writing dreams.
1. My stats: In the first 31 days of January I wrote for 21 days, for a minimum of 5 minutes. On average I would estimate that I wrote for 30-45minutes during every writing session. During those 21 days, I wrote 17,000 words, which includes: a freelance article, an anthology chapter and a dissertation chapter. So despite the fact that I didn’t write every, single, day… committing to daily writing resulted in my most productive writing month ever. It also resulted in more confidence in my ability to write than I’ve ever had, I’m feeling pretty good about my writing so far. I don’t expect to have these kind of stats every month, but it is a great way to start the new year.
The big lesson? I don’t need long segments of time to be productive. I’ve heard it plenty of times, but I never realized how true it is.
2. Building community around your writing is everything. While the #Write2014 community is small, it is also loyal, dedicated and committed. It is exciting to see folks from around the world, and across the US, make friends around this shared goal. What makes it fun is the reality that there is such diversity in the types of writing that folks are working on. We have technical writers, poets, academics, journalists and a plethora of other kinds of creatives.
The lesson here? Your writing partners don’t need to be working on the same types of things as you. Having somebody sharing the struggle with you + holding you accountable creates a goldmine of productivity.
3. Confidence gives birth to creativity. A personal lesson I learned this month, is how much my anxiety fuels my resistance to writing. Writing [nearly] everyday took the pressure off. It didn’t matter whether my writing during a particular session was brilliant or not, because I had six other days that week to write something better. When your only writing once every couple of weeks, a lot of pressure is created around that one particular moment, because (1) your probably behind on your deadlines and (2) who knows when you will get up the nerve to write again.
The lesson here? Writing regularly provided space for me to make mistakes. It also facilitated the creation of another habit: I started thinking about my writing + taking notes about my writing, throughout the day. So by the time I got to my next writing session the following day, many times I already knew what I wanted to say and could knock it out.
While there are a number of other things I could write about, I think these are the big lessons for this month. By participating in a community and creating a regular habit, my writing was able to grow in ways that I hadn’t anticipated. I’ve wanted to be a writer, ever since I was a little girl, so this is an exciting period in my life. If you haven’t been writing much, and want to write more, I encourage you to join the #Write2014 community.
Anyone can join #Write2014, at any time. Just jump right in and start writing! I can be reached on twitter at @AMoffettB. Feel free to send me a message whenever :).
So let me know, how did your writing go in January? Did you learn anything about yourself and your creative habits? Post your thoughts in the comment box below!
peace.
a
p.s. if you wanted to be kept to date on my published writing, the blog and other notes on politics + creativity, sign up for my mailing list on the column to the right of this blog or by clicking here.
Alex Moffett-Bateau / Prof MB (she/they) holds a PhD in political science from the University of Chicago and BA in political science + African American Studies from the University of Michigan. She is an assistant professor of political science at the City University of New York. Their research and writing focus on extra-systemic and subversive politics. Her manuscript in progress argues, in order to accurately understand the political engagement of Black women living in poverty, a fundamental expansion and redefinition of what is considered, “political” is needed. Prof MB is a public speaker, consultant, and podcaster. She is a political knowledge worker whose focus is on Black feminist + disability justice political education. Prof MB is originally from Detroit and now makes her home in New York City.
I agree with everything you wrote. I am surprised by how much I accomplished this month and how much more inspired and confident I feel. I have a toddler who is a year and a half, and I haven’t been able to figure out how to write since having her. I was so used to the luxury of writing for long hours over a few days to knock something out, and now I just don’t have that privilege anymore. #write2014 proves “little dab will do ya.” Thank you for starting this community.
Raquel,
thank you so much for participating! I completely understand what you mean. It’s tough to get back into the creative groove of things after major changes. I absolutely have been shocked at how big a difference small writing sessions make. Keep me updated on how things are going :).
a