DAY 15: THE HALFWAY MARK

For today’s topic, we were given free reign to write about absolutely anything. For me, the choice was easy – I wanted to take a closer look at what the Writers’ Bootcamp Challenge has been like so far.

Here are a few points worth mentioning:

I DIDN’T THINK I’D LIKE IT THIS MUCH

Someone that I don’t know at all once said: “a writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people”.

The more you read and write yourself, the more you come to appreciate great writing – and the more you admonish the drivel that’s mixed in with the good stuff when you’re writing something yourself. I thought this challenge would leave me drained, but its left me with a renewed energy to write more, and to write better.

THE TOPICS HAVE BEEN VARIED AND CHALLENGING

Before this challenge, I would probably never have written about my parents and my greatest fear, and neither would I have written a piece composed entirely of dialogue. I’ve done them all, and have found myself inspired to tackle topics that stretch my usually limited train of thought.

Checking the @writersbootcmp Twitter account for the day’s new topic has already become second nature when I arrive home from work.

THE FEEDBACK

Okay, so I fell ever so slightly short of my goal for ‘one million views’, but to the five or so people I had never before really engaged with that sent me a message to thank me for a certain piece of writing, thank you!

After all, we don’t blog or write and wish that our thoughts somehow dissipate before anyone gets to consume them. Feedback is exciting, especially when it sparks a heated conversation. I am truly thankful to everyone that has read anything I’ve written, and to the conversations that have been inspired because of it.

I HAVE A SERIOUS CASE OF "WRITERS’ RHYTHM"

After half a month of doing more creative, free-spirited, unhindered writing than I ever have before, I feel as though it’s getting easier. I’m no longer willing my thoughts and feelings to labour their way onto the page. If I were a closed book before, the pages are starting to blow around a bit in the wind.

I HAVE A NEW RESPECT FOR GOAL-SETTING

I’ve always shied away from goal setting of any kind. Okay, so that’s not an especially promising confession, but I think I found the pressure and thought of failure to be too much of an obstacle.

Half a month into this, I feel inspired to set bigger goals, because the feeling of achieving them – or even just sustaining your efforts to achieve them – is pretty darn satisfying.

Here’s to the next 16 days!