March (writing) madness

/ Fran Haley

slice-of-life_individual

I’ve just noticed how much the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life badge resembles a basketball.

I find this coincidence captivating, as today kicks off a special season of challenge for both: a month-long daily writing commitment and March Madness.

Bracket predictions are not my thing, but writing is, so I am fondly dubbing these thirty-one days March Writing Madness.

Truthfully, it’s almost madness for me to write a blog post every single day in March. A quality post, that is. I can’t share something until I feel I’ve hammered it into the best possible shape, and in a normal week, that comes to just a post or two. This daily venture is daunting. It’s expensive. I know what the Slice of Life commitment is going to cost me in time and energy. Sacrifices will be required.

But, oh, the payoff . . .

First things first: I started Lit Bits and Pieces in March 2016 as a means of stretching myself as a writer. As much as I enjoy teaching writing and coaching teachers of writing, I recognized the hypocrisy of encouraging others to write consistently if I wasn’t doing so myself. I needed to walk the walk . . . and so this blog was born. I set only two goals in the beginning: To write about whatever comes to mind and to make it uplifting to readers.

In the two years since, the blog has become a life-library for me.

I’ve relived childhood moments; I’ve explored the mysterious; I’ve turned events and things around in my mind, finding connections and analyzing meanings; I’ve tinkered with poetry, flirted with fiction, and captured precious, priceless experiences with students, colleagues, family members, and friends.

I knew when I signed up for last year’s Slice of Life Challenge—my first—that I would be pushing myself even harder, further, as writer. That was expected, desired.

The unexpected, greater payoff: My fellow Slicers. People whose powerful words kept my momentum going when I was almost out of steam, who valued what I wrote, who encouraged me to a degree that I can’t adequately convey. People to whom I owe a debt of gratitude and the honor of encouraging in return . . .

What a difference a month and a writing community make.

While the March Madness basketball tournament is about eliminating the competition (hence those NCAA bracketeers), the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge is about cheering each other on to the very end, so that all are victorious.

Today, as I take my place in the line-up, I celebrate you, Slicers, extraordinary individuals that you are, every one of you a champion, in this arena where the joy you get is also the joy you give.

That’s the buzzer, friends . . . time to write like mad.

 

10 thoughts on “March (writing) madness”

  2. The unexpected, greater payoff: My fellow Slicers.

    I couldn’t agree with this more. As I’ve shared about this experience with others, it’s the community aspect that I always gush about.
    You’re writing is always beautiful. I look forward to more this month.

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  3. Great entry. I’m also struggling with the letting go of my need to revise and rework. I’m going to need to give myself permission to post some less-than-polished writing. I really love the “life library” line. I’m new to the March challenge, but I’ve been doing the Tuesday challenge, and I’m happy to be able to look back and see moments I would have missed otherwise. Enjoy the madness.

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    • Thank you and welcome to the March challenge! I find the immersion and the support here priceless. I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself anyway and here I feel a sense of responsibility to readers … I think my new strategy is to keep the slices shorter so there’s less to keep combing over and over! Yes, here’s to the marvelous madness. 🙂

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  4. I see I’m not the only one drawn to the “life-library” line. As a person who can never have enough books, I love the image of all of these stories that include me! I also loved the line “I’ve tinkered with poetry, flirted with fiction, and captured precious, priceless experiences…” The words flow in a beautiful way and remind me of the playful side of writing. As a newbie to the SOL Challenge, I am looking forward to seeing how I regain the cost (and hopefully more) in the end.

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    • Welcome, Cara! Prepare yourself for one of the most rewarding – often emotional – experiences of your life. The fuel you tap into here will carry you far. Thank you for sharing your life-library truth and your heart with me here.

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