Strictly Writing: Letter to the Gods Of Writing

Dear Writing Gods,

It is January - the time of year when we mere mortals are full of good intentions. During this month (okay admittedly in November, during Nanowrimo too) I usually promise you copious words. And yes, usually within weeks I fail to meet my own, too tough, targets.

Previous promises to you have been verbal and often empty. As a sinner who has not written much at all in ages, I’m taking the unusual step of writing to you. My hope is that this particular work of written word will convince you of my sincere intentions that more will follow? After all what’s written remains, so you will be able to wave this letter at me next January should I fail in my promise to you.

And what exactly is your promise to me I hear you roar from your Godly abode? Simple... I promise to write a minimum of 250 words a day, every day. If I exceed this – wonderful- but ANYBODY can find the time to write 250 words a day. And no, I don’t intend cobbling together any emails I’ve written and claiming they suffice. I really do mean 250 words of my current WIP every day. This is an achievable target which I will stick to.

This is my promise to ye Gods. And so, I ask that you bestow your benevolent graces of inspiration and writerly powers to make every single word matter and count within my story.

Yours sincerely,

Fionnuala

(Diary note to self and Writing Gods - Monday January 10th 2011 – 250 word Strictly Writing

post - Job sort of done, although not really as not words for my WIP? So 329 further words of WIP written - Job well done.

Keep this up and you may just have the writerly Gods smile upon you. Which could mean more inspiration, more words and a fabulous finished book. Deep breaths... One step at a time... Tomorrow another 250 words.)

With thanks to Debbie Ridpath of inkygirl.com for the kind use of her image

Welcome

Welcome to our blog. We are a varied group of writers - published and aspiring; poets, short-story creators and novelists - with one thing in common: an enduring love for the craft of writing. A love which requires great resilience in the face of recurrent self-doubt, writer's block and rejection. In the face of the obsessive checking of emails, inch high dust and burnt dinners. In the face of a gamut of RSI injuries and writer's bottom. But a love that repays itself ten times over with those sparkling seconds of elation when finally, the right prose unfolds, like a quick-footed jive or seamless Cha Cha Cha. That's when we trust once again the voice in our heads that urges... "Keeeeep writing!"

4 comments:

Barb said...: What a great idea. All the best with it.; 10 January 2011 at 07:09
Caroline Green said...: I think that's a brilliant resolution. 250 words isn't much to ask and yet before you know it, they've grown into something substantial...best of luck Fi!; 10 January 2011 at 14:09
Karen said...: I normally go mad at the start of the year and resolve to write 5000 words before I've even woken up, then wonder why I can't stick to it.

Much more sensible to set realistic goals - lots of luck with it :o); 10 January 2011 at 14:32
Debs Riccio said...: Yay - go Fi, go Fi! *waves pom-poms wildly in Fi's direction, hoping to divert attention from rubbish-non-writing self*; 10 January 2011 at 22:16