Picking Up the Habit

Hooray! I am proud and pleasantly surprised that I made it the whole month of posting and commenting every day, so today, I've been doing a little reflecting.

I've loved writing since I was 7 years old. Maybe even before that, but that was when I remember writing my first poem. By age 8, I had enough poems to compile a chapbook with the help of my mother. Now, at age 32, I have files and files of poetry and short stories and essays, but I hadn't been writing much lately. I succeeded at keeping a journal during my pregnancy last year, but it fell by the wayside after a month or so of baby-watching. A friend suggested that perhaps the past couple of years have been happy... insinuating that I only write when I'm depressed or anxious. I suppose it's possible, but I don't think that's the case.

Writing is a habit. Yes, some of us feel the urge to do it more than others, but when the habit is lost, it's difficult to get back into it. It's hard work, after all. Few addictions are harder to keep up than to kick, but writing is one of them. I had fallen out of my writing habit for some reason, and to be honest, finding the reason doesn't seem important. The part I'm interested in is the getting back to it part - the solution.

So, I signed up for the SOLSC to see whether it was still there, deep inside, small and dim - the need to write. It was. It took some days to clear away the cobwebs. It took some whining about time and schedules and responsibilities. It took some remembering about craft and style. It took some whispering and shouting and singing to recall my voice. I'm so glad for the space and opportunity to be kicked in the butt because I usually won't get things done otherwise. On March 1st, I wondered with real fear, "Can I still write every day?" On March 31st, I know I can. I'm not saying I'll be posting a new blog every day for the rest of the year because some of those schedules and responsibilities did suffer this month, but the habit is back. It feels good to listen to clicking keys and watch the white screen fill with words again.

A very sincere thank you to Two Writing Teachers and the Slice of Life community.