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Inspired? Would you like to see your name on this website and your book up on those bookshop shelves? This is where we bring you a round up of writing tips, ideas and hints. | A new year, new small stones: Making a commitment to daily blogging |
by Fiona Robyn of www.fionarobyn.co.uk  I have decided to commit to writing my blog, a small stone, every day throughout the whole of 2007. Why would I want to do this? Nobody is paying me any money. Nobody is going to check up on me and tell me off if I miss an entry on March 17th. It won’t make me famous or get me a book deal. I made the decision for a number of reasons. One of these reasons is that, as a writer, I want people to read what I write (shock horror). Blogs are a fantastic way for writers to find an audience for their work, and frequently updated blogs are more interesting to people than ones that languish without fresh material for months at a time. Another reason is that writing something every day, even if it’s only a line, is a fantastic way of practicing my skills as a writer. It reminds me of the importance of finding the perfect word to describe the colour of that woman’s coat. It helps me to pay attention to the rhythm of the words. It encourages me to think about content – when I read back what I’ve written, does it interest me? If not, why not? How can I buff that sentence up a bit, improve the structure of that paragraph? My final reason has less to do with the art of writing and more to do with the art of living. I’m a firm believer in the benefits of paying attention. Paying attention can help us to engage more fully with the world (our partner, the daffodils in the garden, the smell of coffee, the way it feels when our friend lets us down, etc.). It can also help us to understand, to find meaning. I don’t know about you, but I forget to pay attention moment by moment for hours at a time. If I need to observe something to publish it on my blog, at least I’m paying attention ONCE a day. The whole point of making a commitment is that things might get difficult. You don’t hear about many people making a commitment to eat more chocolate, or to lie in bed longer on a Sunday. I know that some days I would rather stand on my head than sit at my computer and string words together in a line, and that some days I’ll have far more important things worrying at me or demanding my attention. The only advice I have for getting around these barriers is to ‘do it anyway’. Yes, I’ve had a long day, and yes, I could do with collapsing in front of Eastenders with a bag of chips. And first I’ll scribble down the conversation I heard between that boy in the supermarket and his mother. Yes, I can’t think of anything to write. And I’ll start from there and write something anyway. Yes, yesterday I completely forgot to do it. And today I’ll start again. While trying to find something on the internet, I entered ‘write something every day’ into Google. It brought up page after page of advice – from doctors, creative writing teachers and therapists, to painters, children, musicians and (of course) writers. They said – write a journal. Make a sketch. Write for yourself. Write to other people. Write down how you feel. Write what you want. Write. Write. Write. I found what I was looking for – some fine advice by Elaine Feinstein, paraphrased from her poem Muse. Find her poem, stick it up on your wall, and read it whenever you need to be reminded. “Write something every day - even if it’s only a line, it will protect you”. How should this be? … by strengthening our fierce and obstinate centres. by Fiona Robyn of www.fionarobyn.co.uk |
| Posted: 20/01/2007 11:36:17 |
Chick Lit > Writing Tips :: A new year, new small stones: Making a commitment to daily blogging