Writing Matters

During the month of December I am participating in #reverb14 as a means of getting my writing habits back on track. I will be altering the prompts as needed to fit within the scope of this blog. Today's prompt: On writing: Chances are, if you’re participating in #reverb it’s because you like writing.  Or at least want to like writing.  Writing is like a muscle.  Use it or lose it.  What do you do every day to hone your craft?  Or, what would you like to do each day to contribute to your writing?

This prompt speaks to why I am participating in #reveb14 this year. I wanted to encourage myself to get back to writing on a regular basis.  When I'm practicing good writing habits I try to write a little bit every day -- even if it's just a couple hundred words in a blog post that never sees the light of day. Quality matters, but so does getting words down on the page.  Really bad first drafts are okay.  They can foster insight and you need to start somewhere. 

I've also found that I tend to be most productive when I'm able to write in the morning.  My creative and analytical juices tend to work much better in the earlier part of the day.  When working on longer pieces I like to be able to take time away from the writing and come back to it a day or two later. 

In the past few months I've also taken to writing more using pen and paper.  This old school writing has been mostly personal or creative projects.  The ease of being able to open a simple notebook and start writing has been great.  I find I often fall victim to being distracted by the internet or email when I sit down at my computer to write.  Removing distractions and setting time goals for writing has been helpful.