It caught me by surprise, what with all this National Day on Writing and classes and broken elevators and hugging The Perfect Grandson and such. In fact, I almost missed it.
Today’s my second blogiversary.
Celebrating such a thing publicly is odd. I don’t want to be that person in the office who walks around telling everyone it’s her birthday. What exactly are you supposed to do after such an announcement? Prompted congratulations are thin at best. Besides, I’m sure there are several dozen Southern etiquette violations involved, and we all know you go straight to hell for breaking those.
You’re the ones who deserve something, not me. So I’ve got a little something here for you.
I started this hayride for a reason. Two years ago I found myself telling my writing students to scribble incessantly, fearlessly, and then I went home after classes were over and realized I hadn’t written two creative words together in months. Months. My personal writing had taken a backseat to my everyday duties and became that thing I planned to do after the grading/laundry/phone calls/paperwork/planning/meeting/___________.
I wasn’t writing at all. Worse than that, I’d made the very thing I enjoy most into a dangling carrot I’d never quite reach. So I started this blog and decided to make myself get to the page on a regular basis. Absence did not make the heart grow fonder, it made me articulately weak and stumbly. For a couple of weeks I wrote in someone else’s voice – in fact, I channeled a whole slew of mysterious voices.
More than a few times, the frustration of my misplaced voice made me angry enough to quit altogether. Remembering the old days when making words was effortless only compounded the issue. How had I slipped into such a state?
Eventually, it became easier. I added what I now call my Scribbling Hour into my day – an appointment with myself to sit down somewhere and just make words. It’s the only appointment I never break. Between that and this blog, I healed enough to slam out a novel in thirty days last year. I am Writer, hear me roar and all that.
The thing is, I started walking the talk and things turned around. This blog was a big part of that and I’m thrilled I can share this with you. Writer’s block? Hell no. I don’t believe in that boogeyman. Self denial is real, though, and so is procrastination. Neither one can hide under that rock and call itself something swanky. Do I still have crappy writing moments? All the time, but they pass and even the worst of days can leave me a line, a name, a gesture that turns into something stunning later.
So in honor of the National Day on Writing, and as a present to yourself, go write something. It doesn’t matter if it’s awful or tragic or otherwise unsightly. Just do it anyway. If you really hate it when you’re done, then delete the mess or throw pages in the fire or whatever makes you feel better. Then open the same present again tomorrow. Keep doing it until your voice loses the rust and awkward pitch, because it will.
Everyone has something that needs telling. Go tell it.
No Telling 
Amen, Sista! I'm literacy coach at my school and I haven't written anything today either. Need to work on that.
Thank you for the inspiration!
Amen! Happy blogiversary. I love reading it and look forward to it every day. I also find inspirations from your writing, which encourages me to write. I may not do it every day; but I'm constantly composing in my head. When I finally get myself to a computer, I do a “brain dump” and go from there. I've always been a writer, but I haven't always written. Keeping up my blogs has helped a lot and given me the confidence to enter writing contests such as NaNo. This time last year? No way, Jose!
Thanks for being so inspirational 🙂
Your words reflect my thoughts. I too had been not writing anything for years and then I started my blog and to my surprise, I realized that I still have not lost my touch with writing. It also surprised me to find out that I write better now!
Happy Blogday!
I like the French way of getting around the awkwardness of announcing your own birthday at the office: _you're_ the one who brings goodies for coffee time. Anybody walking in with a bag of croissants and pains au chocolate is very welcome.
The Day on Writing is a neat idea too. Just might make my way over there…
It's so easy to fall into the effluvia, isn't it Janie?
You're welcome, Lola!
Just wait until the NaNo begins, GunDiva. You'll walk around with that novel every waking moment. When you sit down to write, your fingers won't be fast enough. That's the best part.
Ekantha, it's just like going to the gym. After a few weeks everything begin moving more easily.
Ooh la-la, NanU! I love the way the French solve awkward stuations. Be sure to swing by the Gallery of Writing – it's phenomenal. That site will be up and changing for another six months, so check often!
Happy Blogiversary!!! Please keep on doing what you do so well!
congrats, monda! i'm glad u started this blog… its inspired my writing and now i am constantly writing. I've actually been using writing therapeutically to channel frustration, anger, etc.. (it doesn't come out so good with the happier feelings, but I'm working on it)… anyway… my point is… it works. I write things down and for the moment its like a release… Like when I wrote the feeling down it was transferred to that piece, and I am done with it. It's really good for me right now, because I am going through alot.
anyways, thnks for waking up the writing beast in me, monda. =]
Oh Monda,
You have absolutely captured the plight of the masses! Well, maybe not the entirety of the masses, but a good portion of us.
You turned me on to NaNoWriMo, by the way, and I can not wait for November to start.
Thanks Calamity!
You awakened The Beast, Nathanael, and I couldn't be happier for you! Don't you dare stop writing. You're in an important place doing important work during a time of enormous change. What you have to say matters, Nathanael. More than you know.
This is as massy as we get, Nick, and I'm tickled to death you've thrown your lot in with NaNo! Now, what do I do about you flirtin' up my daughter over at Generation Y'all…
You're like the sinful slice of chocolate cake one's allowed to have after a particularly gruelling diet. Thanks 🙂