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Announcing 500 Words a Day in May

Picture Picture         I am not very good at starting movements. I'm not well-connected (shockingly, I only update my Instagram a few times a week! And Tumblr is very confusing to me. One will never get a massive cadre of followers that way!) or at the top of my field (how one gets to the top of the education field is normally by gathering too many degrees and pontificating on the value of standardized tests). But I also believe that good ideas have a way of  being shared, I believe that good enough ideas can create movements.
        So, here's my movement:
        In May, I need to increase my writing. Like many indie authors, I have a day job, and need to fit in time to sit in front of my laptop when I'm not meeting the needs of the work that pays the bills. The upside of this situation is that I am able to write what I want with no regard for whether I will make money from it - I am writing to fulfill myself and make some cash on the side. The downside of this is that I'm not able to dictate my own writing schedule. I'm fortunate to have a supportive husband who encourages me to find time after Little Man is asleep to pound away on the keys IF I don't have grading or lesson planning to do.
        And yet, I'd rather be writing.
        The temptation is there to gorge myself, to wait until the weekends and create a whirlwind of fiction and hole up at my desk with an IV drip of Chai and ramen and write. The temptation is there to stay up until 3am one night writing only to be so exhausted the next day so that I underperform at my job and can't write a thing because I need sleep!
        While this is a fun temptation to indulge once in a while, it doesn't really lead to good writing. If I'm trying to improve myself, I need to make choices about my writing habits that will help me do this. You can read it everywhere, from any number of sources. Daily writing makes for stronger writers.
        Which brings me to my movement. I may be the only one engaging in this mission, and I'm OK with that. In May, I hereby commit to writing 500 words every day. No marathons or binge sessions, but daily creative work on the projects I'm focused on right now. I've got a serial that I'm really excited about. I've got students asking about the sequel to my first novel. Both of these are awesome things. Allowing myself to binge-write may satisfy me for that night, but, in the end, I won't get the true satisfaction of meeting my writing goals. I may go over 500 words if I've got the extra time, but I need to be able to write again the next day so I can't put myself in a position where I'll need to sleep off a literary bender.
        I know some writers who preach schedule. These writers do not have an 18 month old whose nickname is, aptly, Dozer. I will not be adhering to a schedule. I'm not a morning person, but that is the time when my house is at its most peaceful and I'm able to concentrate the best, so I'll try to get my 500 words done in the mornings at times. But, let's be honest, the snooze button is a seductive mistress who has misled many a well-intentioned creative type. I'll write when I can. And I'll get to 500 words when I do get the chance.
        I'm inviting you to join me. I'll be tweeting (and blogging) about my progress. I'll be using the hashtag #500words. I'm not trying to get something 'trending' and I certainly don't have the hip t-shirts ordered yet, but I am trying to improve myself and support some of the fabulous writers who I have met and come to respect on this journey. I'd love to have you join me!
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Published on April 24, 2015 19:23
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