When Ang Lawrence introduced the idea of taking part in the #30daywritingchallenge back in July, I didn't know just how challenging it would be to write a blog post every day for a month. I jumped aboard for a couple of different reasons; one, it was nice to be asked. I thought it was cool that Ang wanted me to do the challenge with her, and two, I'd been thinking for weeks previous that it would be a good thing for me to write for my blog on a more regular basis.
When we'd gotten through the first challenge, Ang came up with the #AKwritingChallenge, and we took off again. There have been other authors who have diligently stuck with Ang and I. Samantha Soccorso, Carol Cassada and Randy Brown are a few of them. I'm so glad they've been a part of this. It's been a lot of fun to read their posts on a daily basis.
There were a handful of topics in the challenges that were really hard for me. A Family Member I Dislike was a big one, but Five Fears wasn't a walk in the park, either. "If I Had a Super Power ..." might have been a playful topic, but instead it wound up being a lot less light-hearted and much more personal. Surprisingly, one of the most difficult posts turned out to be "Most Likely To...", which probably shouldn't have caused such an emotional response for me, but undoubtedly did. I went into both challenges knowing I wanted to be absolutely honest with my writing. I laid myself bare on many occasions - and it was a very uncomfortable thing - but I'm glad I did it. Honesty. It's a rough thing sometimes, but for me, it's been a good thing, too.
What did I learn? Several things.
I learned that even though I haven't talked to my dad in nearly twenty-five years, and even though he died fifteen years ago, he's still right here. Every day, he's right here. I have an extraordinary life, I have amazing relationships and have achieved a great many things - but I have never been able to shed the experiences I had with him during the first half of my existence. I knew this - at least to some extent - but it surprised me just how much it hurt to write about him, and to relive some of the memories I have of him. It was good for me. I don't regret writing those posts at all, but they were still very, very hard, and they made me realize that no matter how old I get, my childhood will always have a huge effect on my present and my future.
I learned that I really love writing every day. It's not easy keeping up with all of my responsibilities. I am a busy woman - but I like that. The more into the challenges we got, the more I enjoyed writing. Posting has become just one more thing I do each day, and I've thoroughly enjoyed sitting down and playing (sometimes struggling) with each topic.
I learned that I really like talking about other authors. I've written about many of them in the course of the last sixty days. There are a few who I am very passionate about. Including them in several of my posts has made me a very happy girl.
Like I mentioned above, throughout these last two months I've been painfully honest about things that have taken place in my life, and I've been incredibly open about myself. Perhaps the best thing I've learned is that I like who I am. I'm goofy. I'm ridiculous. I'm annoyingly optimistic and giggly. I have crazy, curly hair, I'm chubby, I think stupid jokes are hilarious, and I'm the biggest dork you'll ever meet. I'm also fiercely loyal and I love with all of my heart. All of that makes me me. I'm so far from being perfect, but I'm okay with that.
So, with two writing challenges behind me, I'm ready to charge on into the next. It will be interesting to see what the next thirty days and the #WingWritingChallenge brings.
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