10 things I found out during the 17 days (not that they surprise in the hindsight)
1. I made plans and thought I was better prepared than last year. Nevertheless there have been days when my mind and fingers refuse to cooperate.
3. The time matters a lot. The pieces I like the most I wrote when I had time. There was time for the ideas to form and later there was time to revise. Now it seems that as my days get packed fuller my writing gets shorter and shorter.
4. Guilt crept in when I didn’t have time to comment as much as I wished. I had to let it go.
5. I find safety in dialogues. Probably because these words have been spoken so I don’t have to go looking for them.
6. I wish to write more pieces that would use description or would be mood lifting.
7. People have commented on my honesty. It is easy to be hones about myself. The way some people speak deeply and honestly about their feelings toward the people close to them is a territory unexplored for me. Not just as a writer.
8. The shine of the comments got me disoriented. I had to take deep breath and think through whether I would still write if I didn’t receive comments. I was glad to find out that I probably would. Then I realized I was still deceiving myself. It matters that my Tuesday friends have not deserted me.
9. What I have found most interesting is that the readers see more in my texts and in me than I do. It has been pleasant to allow myself to enjoy it.
10. I have puzzlement. I wonder how much I have created who I am through my writing.
Thanks for sharing your reflections about your past 17 days of the challenge. I agree that time matters a lot. The more time I have, the better my writing is. Also, I have also felt guilt at times when I couldn't comment as much as I wanted to.
ReplyDelete--jee young
Your reflection certainly parallels my first year attempt at writing every day - or even sharing my writing on a "big stage." I have started to TRY to jot down notes the day before...even starting my post the night before...and then publishing it in the morning. If I HOLD the post to publish at night, I spent LOTS Of time revising and making it better,,,,but then I don't has as much time to read others' posts Thanks for YOUR reflections.
ReplyDeleteEvery time you step back and look within yourself and your writing, you learn so much about yourself. I think that is very brave of you to share these thoughts and discoveries.
ReplyDelete10. I have puzzlement. I wonder how much I have created who I am through my writing.
ReplyDeleteI love that term! "Puzzlement" - this is what motivates yo as a writer, doesn't it - the puzzlement of how to express through writing all that one thinks, sees and feels. Keep slicing!
I love your reflections. The line "Nevertheless instead of enjoying the “now” my mind goes on a scavenger hunt for new slices." rings true for me some days, too. Usually those end up being my least favorite slices, but I'm committed to writing everyday, even if I have nothing really to say.
ReplyDelete"I had to take deep breath and think through whether I would still write if I didn’t receive comments. I was glad to find out that I probably would. Then I realized I was still deceiving myself."
I love this thought sequence. "Do I do it for the comments? No. Wait, maybe I do." I, too, struggle with this one...
Jennifer
I've read several posts recently about the effect of comments on their writing, i.e. just who are they writing for? It's an interesting question. In part of our writing lessons, we do teach that audience is important, but that is not quite the same as 'pleasing', is it? I like your reflection and like Tara, the puzzlement gives me something to think about. Thanks, Terje!
ReplyDeleteI've read several posts recently about the effect of comments on their writing, i.e. just who are they writing for? It's an interesting question. In part of our writing lessons, we do teach that audience is important, but that is not quite the same as 'pleasing', is it? I like your reflection and like Tara, the puzzlement gives me something to think about. Thanks, Terje!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your list. I would like to comment on this portion of one "readers see more in my texts and in me". I find this intriguing. I don't think I have felt this in the comments made about my posts yet. And that is okay with me. I have been rushed to do one each day and this is a new "branching out" experience for me. But to my point now, when my college students write a major piece, what I do is reflect on their words in writing. It ends up to be thoughts I had during the experience of reading. I have had students tell me they keep those scraps of paper because of how it made them feel...even if what they intended to say was different then my reflection. They felt I had listened to them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your honest reflections. I could relate to several of them including the concern about time. Lately, I've been a last-minute writer and had little time to revise. I'm trying to decide if that works better for me because too often I revise the life out of a piece unitl it no longer says what I originally meant to say. I need to think about that some more.
ReplyDeleteMakes me think. Thanks
ReplyDeleteLove your list and your reflections - seems you have been learning a lot about yourself as a writer
ReplyDeleteI especially see your #3 in my writing as well - I've had days jammed full and had to decide just to write something almost by brute force, but I like the writing I do when I have the luxury to mull it over and fuss with the words till I have it the way I like. Thank you for sharing your thoughtful observations.
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