42 DAYS OF WRITING PROMPTS

This will be a very personal, non-political post.Since everyone uses Facebook as their diary these days, I figured I may as well follow suit. I'm not looking for comments or thoughts, but feel free to give them. I'll also be posting it on my blog, awesomesauce33.blogspot.com, which I am trying to bring back to life.

I have loved to write all my life. When I was a young boy, I didn't write; I read. And I read voraciously. I often brag how, after my mom taught me to read, I quickly advanced through the levels until, by the middle of 1st grade, I was reading at a 6th grade level. When I was in 6th grade, I was told that my level of comprehension was so high that I needed to turn to college level books. Penny Thompson Day introduced me to the Illiad and the Odyssey.

It was at this point I distinctly remember taking a turn in my way of thinking. While I could read the books, they were too hard and archaic in their language, and so I instead turned to more modern fiction like Harry Potter. I wish I would have stuck with those two classics, because I felt like it always put me behind in the way of critical thinking. At that point I was writing stories, somewhat fantastical with a bend in the way of mysterious villains and twists where the "good guy" ended up being the bad guy. However, for me it was too simple, and I longed for something more.

By high school, I had already quit writing three different novels, and expanded my reading palette to include psychological thrillers, mystery novels, histories both fiction and non fiction, as well as philosophy. As those of you who knew me then, I was dare I say a little arrogant.

The point is, in the years that have passed since I graduated high school, I have read a lot more, though not as much as I should have or liked. I've thrown away almost a dozen novels before they left the planning stage. And, on an almost daily basis, I have dreamed of being a best-selling author. I envisioned myself writing some moving novel or series, something which would let audiences feel what I felt, see what I saw, and love the words which I pieced together to tell a story.

Recently, though, I came to the realization, though I have consciously known it for a long time, that this was a really stupid way of thinking.

For all my talk and bluster, I was making two basic mistakes. First,I was so deep in my desire to write that I forgot who creating a work of words is actually for: myself. I wanted audiences to see what I saw, but (as those of you who have talked with me about my writing have told me countless times) this is no way to write. You can't write for other people. You have to write, to create, to live for yourself.

The second mistake I was making brings me to the point of this post. I have done so much thinking about writing... that I haven't actually written anything. I've talked a big game, but when it comes to word counts, I've done nothing. As I have said, this has been pointed out to me constantly (mostly by Leah Wrightson) but for some reason it has finally clicked. So, in an effort to rectify this, starting tonight I will be doing....

42 DAYS OF WRITING PROMPTS

Every night, I will take a random writing prompt and write for at least 20 min. I am hoping this will give me some focus and purpose, and even in some ways help me to start getting back into shape and becoming the person I want to be. Writing is such a big part of my life that I am convinced if I become a better writer, I will improve other parts of my life.

As to why I am posting this here... it's mostly so I can remember and look back. However, I will be posting my writings here as they are, and I welcome critiques, advice and whatever other thoughts people want to provide. They say it takes 21 days to break a habit... hopefully double the time will help me break out of this rut.