5.11pm
I don’t know about you but I seem to have an endless list of ideas for things I am going to write about, a smattering of drafts ready to go, and not quite the writing habit to get them published. You may also suffer from blog guilt! You may have a publishing space that you want to re-energise and kickstart again – getting back to a time when you were rattling off posts left write and centre. Inspired by similar ideas in the past – like 750words and nanowrimo – I thought I would start something up around the simple approach:
Write everyday for 28 minutes for 28 days. #28daysofwriting
Writing Chunks
The time frame seems manageable in our hectic lives and is often the hurdle for me publishing posts, just spending too long on them! Hopefully you will agree that we should be able to find a 28 minute chunk of uninterrupted writing time during any given day – especially if we are committed to developing such a habit.
A Creative Habit
And that is very much what this is about – getting into a strong, sustainable writing habit that lasts. Who knows whether 28 days is enough but I am up for sticking at it and seeing where I am by then.
Building a Writing Community
Blogging has had an immeasurable impact on my professional life and yet I know I can still be a better writer. Writing regularly helps so much, but it is also about the social platform that is blogging. Sharing with others, with a network, a community. I feel that the blogging community has changed, especially within education, and so this idea is also about building strong(er) communities of writers.
Not Posting Perfection
One of the hurdles for me in my recent writing days has been trying to craft that epic post, that idea or piece of writing that keeps burgeoning – it seems to go on forever and needs to be just so before we hit “Publish”. The healthy constraint of time will help us all to publish. To just publish what we have and be content with that. Sharing early thoughts is sometimes more valid than waiting till the idea is just how we want it before we share it – such behaviour can only lead to a closed or fixed mindset. Write for 28 minutes and publish what you have and then enjoy the conversation that occurs. Don’t aim to publish perfection, we are successful if we just publish.
So if some of these problems and challenges resonate with you. If you are also keen to restart your writing habit and be part of a small community of supportive peers who comment on each others work then sign up in the form below to show you are interested in taking part.
I will share some more information soon and I think we will get started from the 1st of February as the month meets our requirements pretty well!
Don’t forget to share this post with others who you think it would be relevant for – use the hashtag #28daysofwriting – we will also use this to flag when we have published our work. I hope to see your name pop up on the list of those interested and I look forward to connecting with you all.
And yes this post took me 28 minutes!
#28daysofwriting
5.39pm
Thanks for letting me know – I will change the form settings so you can add your name or if I spot your name on the list I will edit the URL for you – cheers and good luck with the challenge.
I tried to fill out your for above but it won’t accept my address noetanigawa.co
It’s late Thursday, the 5th….I’m in. I like the challenge. Maybe this will help me with my commitment issues around blogging!
I’m a bit late starting but this is just the kickstart I need to get me back into my blog after a few days break!
A great idea, Tom. I’m a few of days behind, but have been thinking (and procrastinating) about writing a blog for a while. This could be the push I need.
I’m in…….if it’s not too late. probably overcommitting myself but what the heck I’m sure there’s 28 mins somewhere in the day!!!!
Am keen to give this a go….a few days late and yes, I’m probably over committing myself but I’m up for the challenge. If its not too late that is………
I’m in, not promising revolutionary stuff, but I will try!!
Super idea boss. We got some teachers taking up the challenge over at http://staffrm.io > will be super interesting to watch how this unfolds 🙂
Tom- Thanks for the challenge. I am excited to begin the process. Great to reconnect with a #GTASYD13 colleague.
Thought I had joined, haven’t received email, hope I don’t miss out. Looking forward to the challenge.
oh my life, I so need this! Great idea Tom. Looking forward to getting back on the blogging horse!
Lovely idea, Tom. At the same time, I saw this from a FB friend of mine:
Hugely inspiring listening to Michel Faber tonight talk about the writing of his last novel (he’s adamant it’s his last), which he started just before his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer. About halfway through he became so busy caring for her that he gave up on the book and resigned himself to never finishing it. But she insisted he kept writing and made him promise to write six lines a day, no matter what. And gradually he took up the thread and found his momentum, and finished it while she was still alive. Remarkable how she could raise him up from his despair, even as she was dying.
I’m in! Good idea Tom and thanks for the prod! Just the encouragement and focus I needed. I hope you received my expression of interest via the google form. Looking forward to the challenge!