Reflections on Slicing

I'm attempting to write every day in March as part of the Slice of Life Challenge hosted by Two Writing Teachers. Stop by! 

I guess it’s that time of the challenge – time to sit back and take stock about how it’s been going, right?

I was leery of committing to the challenge. Several friends on twitter were already in the Tuesday slice (and, I’m assuming, have done the monthly challenge before). I questioned them for a while, and kept thinking that maybe I would just dip my toes into the Tuesday stream once March had ended. Then I thought about it some more, and chatted with another friend. This friend is a F2F friend, so we actually heard one another’s voices! (Hi, Jessica!).

I’m a “lapsed writer” – and Jessica actually gets paid to write articles. At the very last minute we texted each other and said, “What the heck? Let’s go for it!”

What concerned me?

I thought I’d have nothing to say. Heh. Clearly, I’m quite fond of the sound of my own voice… err… keyboard. I’ve had no trouble finding something to write about every day. In fact, I have a running list of about 15 ideas that I haven’t used. I really DO want to start a short story…

I thought I’d run out of time. Well, heck, that’s true. I’m one of those people who need a decent amount of sleep, so that couldn’t give. Housework? Umm… I’m already a total slacker when it comes to keeping my home neat. Cooking? Ditto. I guess I just decided to make the time, and it’s worked out so far. Could I keep up this pace long term? Maybe. I have always dreamed of being “published”. Perhaps I’d better go dust off those old story ideas and get my rear in gear?

I thought my perfectionism would get in the way. Well, that is true too. Yet each day I’ve been able to put aside my anxiety and click “publish”. Are there still typos? Are there still sentences I’d like to rework and thoughts that didn’t come out quite right? Honestly, I don’t know. I can’t go back and reread my own work. Yes, that is part of what gets in my way pursuing my desire to “get my name in lights”. I’m working on it, I swear.

I thought my other writing would interfere. Okay, so I’m not a published author. But I do write about two posts a week for The Fandom Post (a Star Wars Thursday post every week and a comic review most weeks). I’m firmly committed to keeping that going, and I wasn’t sure I could do it all. Then I added in my “It’s Monday” posts (Thanks, Mentor Texts!). How many balls did I really think I could juggle? It’s past the halfway point, and I’m still doing well. Whoo hoo!

What have I gained?

I am a writer. There, I said it. I am a writer. Maybe it will never be the way I earn a living, but I do love speaking my mind. I love the audience. What will happen when that audience goes away? (please, don’t all go away!) Maybe I’ll take the time to write and polish up those stories that are sitting on the back burner. Maybe I’ll keep reviewing books, or speaking my mind. It doesn’t really matter. I am a writer. Writers write.