Recently, I have been going through some old blog posts from before I published my first book, to bring them onto this site. I have been copying and pasting each post and updating links as needed.
It’s been interesting revisiting some of these thoughts and dreams. I have come to one major realisiation.
I’ve forgotten how to have fun with my writing!
Over the last five years or so, I’ve been so hung up on being an author and creating a career for myself, that I’ve forgotten how much fun writing can be.
In my Virtual Writers Groups, as well as programs like The 12 Days of Christmas, I encourage others to have fun with their writing, to just go with the flow and write for the joy of it. I haven’t listened to my own advice!
Last year, my nephews started giving me writing prompts and I’d write silly stories for them, and I do the exercises I set in writers group, but as far as my own writing with the view for writing a chapter book or finish a novel – for some reason I keep thinking of those who are telling me the ‘right’ way to write a book… and that’s not me.
I need to bring the joy back into my writing. To block out the critics and those who tell me how to do things. To just write for the love of writing.
Most of all, to just have fun with it again.
This week, I’ve been unsubscribing from so many newsletters from those who tell me how to write, other than the fact they’re cluttering up my inbox, I’m not reading them. I’m also unfollowing many pages on social media to try and get many voices out of my head that dictate a formula.
I’m not sure this is the complete answer, but it’s a start.
The next step is to find my joy in writing something just for me, just for fun, just because the words are in my head and want to come out.
I’m really looking forward to the Chapter Book Challenge next year to embrace it fully in a way I haven’t for a couple of years, and just have fun writing a new story.
