Write Every Day??

Dear Reader, I started this blog as a way to enter a contest. It wasn't necessary to have anything particularly wonderful written in the blog, I just had to have a link to a blog of my own. I created it out of necessity and at the time it didn't really matter to me if I posted every day or not.

But I DO identify myself as a writer, and strive to become a better writer all the time. I read books for writers, I read blogs about writing, and I think about new ideas for writing all the time. In fact, that's what got me into this whole mess tonight.

Reader, I know you understand my dilemma of having dishes to do, laundry to fold, and children clamoring for advice, homework checks and food every night. What I'm trying to say is that it's easy to read about being a writer, and even easier to procrastinate when it comes to actually putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard in this case).  In the midst of that very procrastination tonight, I stumbled upon a site about writing a memoir, which is something I hope to do someday. That site linked to another writing site and another, until I landed on a site with the alarming title "How To Write Every Day."

I skimmed it, certain that the author didn't mean every single day. I mean, who could even do that? But here's what I saw, in black and white: "IF you aspire to be a writer......you should......write every day." Scary things came up after that, like "daily routine" and "target number of words" and even "responsibility to a daily deadline for your readers." Whoa.

Reader, let me just say, for the record, that even though this concept terrifies and somewhat overwhelms me, I know it's something I need to do.

I. Need. To. Write. Every. Day.

I owe it to myself. I owe it to my readers. I owe it to my one-eyed Daruma, waiting to get his other eye until the day I've finally submitted my first manuscript. I don't need to be published, but I need to send out a finished work.

That said, I'm making a commitment, right here and right now. I will write for at least 15 minutes a day, compose at least three sentences, and post my writing by 10:00pm each night. There, I said it. Now I must do it.

So...I guess I'll be seeing you around. Tomorrow night. :)