#1 It’ll be just like Starting Over
I wrote for a Medium publication, 100 Naked Words, back in 2016. The publication challenged me to submit one post per day of a minimum of one hundred words, for one hundred days. The naked part was to encourage me to be vulnerable and transparent in my writing.
My goal in writing for 100NW, and the reason I accepted the challenge, was to help me develop a writing habit and get better every day. The carrot, what was supposed to keep me honest and committed, was being a part of a publication that would amplify my work throughout a mini-, but an ever-growing network. My end of the bargain was to not miss one day.
In the back of my mind, I thought I might stumble on writing a great post, get recognized for it, receive plaudits and, I don’t know, opportunities, maybe? That didn’t happen. And I never made it.
I just went back and reviewed what I’d written. The trail ended at number fifty-eight.
I remember that my family and I went on a camping trip and I missed a few days, which was approved by the editor, but when I returned, my desire to write waned because it was hard and I wasn’t getting the claps (or “likes”) I didn’t realize I was looking for.
I let the need for others’ approval overtake me.
It’s time to start again. And whoever reads my posts reads them but at least I’ll be doing this for me.
