One year ago, I started "The Challenge." My goal was to get back to writing by forcing myself to write a post every day for one year. It was inevitable that I wouldn't actually be able to write every single day-- sickness and school were the most common culprits--but I managed to get a post in on most of the days and even get perfect attendance for a lot of months.
So, now, at the end of the year the question is what did the challenge accomplish? Where do I go from here?
What did the Challenge Accomplish?
I spent the first 6 months or so using a random username under my personal email account until finally deciding that yes I do want to be a successful writer and yes that part of my life will have to be separate from my current field of study (Computer Science, for the curious). Now I have an official pen-name as well as an official email address and website for said pen-name.
I also remembered that the only way you actually get better is receive critiques, try new things, and converse with other writers. I joined several poetry groups and while I have't been as active as I'd like to be, it's a start. I tried a few new styles of poetry (see the More On Poetry tab for details)--I even created a style all to my own.
I discovered that I have more free time than I previously thought. This discovery will hopefully push me to finish the two books I'm currently working on as well!
Where Do I Go From Here?
I love to write so its safe to say I won't be abandoning the blog. That being said, I recognize that some of my posts during the challenge were not of great quality as they were rushed or I didn't feel like spirit of writing at the time. Not requiring myself to post everyday will allow me to eliminate those kind of posts. My goal is to post at least weekly (though this semester I should be starting my proposal so I may become sparse near the end of the year).
Overall, it's been a great experience. Thanks to those of you who followed along, supported, gave feedback, etc. I look forward to continuing to grow, continuing the blog, and continuing to interact with all of you!
