To Leigh Anne (and other first time SOLSC participants)

Dear Leigh Anne,

I read your slice today. You shared your fears about the March writing challenge and asked for advice. I usually don't give advice to others, but rather share what I have experienced and learned, and may-be, just may-be, it will be useful to someone else. I hope that when you read my words, you will get some advice that will help you during the challenging 31 days.

First of all you should know that fear is natural - fear that you wouldn't know what to write for so many days in a row, the fear that you won't be able to find time to write every day, the fear that you write words that might not engage the reader. Last year was my third year participating and I still had those fears. I have them this year too.

I even think that may-be I shouldn't participate. I know I will have days when I wills stare the empty screen and feel panic, or find that everyone has said what I wanted to say and so much better. I know I will have days when I am unhappy with the amount and quality of my writing. It may also happen that when I have written one of my best posts, the others are too busy and only three people will comment that post. I am certain that I will never be able to read and comment as many posts as I wish. It is very likely that on some days I will barely manage to comment the minimal three posts. It is very likely that the rest of the family will complain that I spend too much time at a computer. I may gain weight because I forget to exercise. I will probably eat more and sleep less than usually. Yet, I will participate in this challenge.

This challenge is not mandatory. I don't have to participate. I have the freedom to choose. I can write if I want to. This is not an assignment. This is a friendly invitation. I like to look at these 31 days as a game or an experiment. No matter how the month turns out, it will be a learning experience.

I know that when I participated, I found more ideas to write about than I ever imagined. Knowing that I had to write made me keep my eyes open, notice and appreciate nature, people, and small moments. I became more attuned to my feelings and thoughts. Last year I wrote a list with 100 things to write about, but the days brought their own topics to write about. Reading other slices gave an ever growing amount of inspiration for questions, topics and structures. People in this community are generous and like sharing ideas.

Last March was stressful and busy. Yet it was the daily writing that helped me to cope with everything. I kept looking for the positive, clarified my thoughts and feelings, tried to look at my life from different perspectives. Reading comments and other slices gave me new insights, lifted me up, reminded me to breathe and live. Since I was tight with time I learned to find pockets of time for writing. I also learned to write from scratch faster.  I allowed myself an easy way out on very busy days - I used simple structures (e.g. :: right now::) or wrote very short slices.

Who doesn't love comments? Readers and comments fuel writer. Of course the writer wants to please the reader. I found out that first of all I wrote for myself. I needed to write. I was also my most critical reader. The other community members were more likely to notice the positive in my words. Slicing is about collecting and sharing our stories. The stories may be similar, but they are never ever exactly the same. Finding connections with every day moments can make us smile, allowing to show the silly side brings chuckles, sharing experiences helps us to learn, trust to share sad and difficult topics is met with support, allowing ourselves being vulnerable actually makes us stronger. Sometimes it is very very difficult to find the words, many times they may be far from perfect, yet with lots of not so good writing, come some ideas and words that can be polished into beautiful text.

SOLSC will start in 10 days. I have my fears, but I plan to be a risk-taker, a learner, a writer. I will try my best. I will accept my imperfectness. I plan to have fun. What an incredible opportunity to write is awaiting for me, for us, in ten days.

Leigh Anne, I hope that from my letter, from the comments, and other slices you have found some words that have lessened your fears or given you a different perspective to this writing challenge. You have been invited to write. You are a writer.

Warm regards,
Terje