“…there is nothing more wonderful than a list…”
~ Umberto Eco ~
As this month draws to a close, it seems natural to reflect on what I’ve learned. Lists have been popular this year. I love lists and have tried a few different formats myself, and thought a compare/contrast style list would work to organize my jumbled thoughts about writing each day for the past 30 days.
The Perils of Writing Every Day
- Chocolate on the computer–I guess as long as it doesn’t work its way into the keyboard or USB port, it really can’t hurt.
- Almost driving into a snowbank as I watched a bobcat cross the road. (Thankfully, the snow is gone!)
- Being so tired from reading and writing (not to mention life) that I could hardly see straight, yet when I finally got into bed and closed my eyes, words floated into my brain and I had to get up to write them down.
- Washing my hair with body soap because I was still tired and distracted by my thoughts.
- There was something else, but I can’t remember what it was because I didn’t write it down!
The Pleasures of Writing Every Day
- Finding exactly the right words to express my thoughts.
- Reflecting on daily events through writing. This has helped me learn and deepen my understanding about a many topics.
- Learning about myself as a writer–being conscious of my bad habits and trying to improve my writing.
- Having the satisfaction of letting go of some self-doubt and accomplishing a goal — sharing an original poem each Friday was scary.
- Being part of this supportive, nurturing community. Your comments and feedback have encouraged me and made me brave.
I am so grateful to Stacey, Tara, Dana, Anna, Betsy, and Beth for providing this space for us to share our writing, and to everyone on the support team who helped with all the details. I can only imagine the time and effort that have gone into making this month-long challenge a success. Thank you all for your generosity!
Finally, I am in awe of all of you. The writing that you have shared in response to the SOL challenge has been amazing. Your words have moved me to laughter and tears, and have given me new insights and understanding into life. Thank you so much for sharing.
Reading to the Core 
It has been such an adventure this month writing everyday. I am glad that I found your writing through the challenge. Looking forward to continuing to read it after the challenge is over.
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You captured perfectly what I feel every year. The amazing writing that is shared keeps me coming back. I don’t ever feel “good enough” but that isn’t the point. Writing is something I have always felt I “must do”. The challenge gets me to make the time….
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And I am in awe of you too. Thank you for the inspiration you provide in this writing community. I love your writing and I love your encouragement. And look forward to seeing your writing beyond this challenge!
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In my opinion, a little body wash for shampoo is certainly worth a good book or good writing piece! I enjoyed your post. Congratulations on a great SOLC 2014!
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Loved your line “words floated into my brain and I had to get up to write them down” I felt that way often too and ft I didn’t write them down I couldn’t sleep.
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This was my first SOLSC and I am amazed by all the wonderful things I read. I didn’t comment on a lot because this could be a full time job,but I read a lot and found inspiration from others.
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I love your examples of how distracted you were! You captured the reality of a writer’s mind, especially during this challenge – you find yourself lost in thought about something you must write, you want to capture for your post, and – whoops – you are no longer present! I hope that there is never a movement to forbid writers from driving! Congrats on a month of blogging!!
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Love this: “There was something else, but I can’t remember what it was because I didn’t write it down!” Awash with words as we have been, I’ve written many words down, & still kept thinking that I’d forgotten something. It’s always a pleasure reading your posts, Catherine, & I’m glad you’re joining in for poems on Friday-great stuff! See you tomorrow, too!
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You’ve summed up the experience beautifully, Catherine – we’ve all learned so much from this amazing community of writers.
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Just wrote a similar post, Catherine! Isn’t it amazing how much more we notice when we are writing every day, and how much we mess up things like shampoo and body soap! I loved reading your lists. When are you coming to Westfarms???
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Thanks, Melanie! Haven’t had a chance to read your post, yet. It’s been a crazy 24 hours! Hoping to get up your way in the next week or so. I’ll DM you. Looking forward to seeing you soon!
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I enjoyed reading your post. I had planned on writing about my writing today, but something else came up.
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Catherine – I like the format of this post. Nicely done.
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