500 Words Challenge Day 1

500 Words Challenge Day 1

A new start today! It’s the first day of my 500 Words Challenge and I’m feeling quite excited. Over Christmas, I got lazy about my writing and let things slip. Then when I tried to get back to normal, Writer’s Block whacked me head-on. It wasn’t a nice feeling and it took a lot of soul searching and perseverance to find my way back.

Words, Words, Words

It was like a fog had descended on my brain and I couldn’t find what I was looking for.

Words that made sense. Words that told stories.  Words that connected with others.

But I was missing the whole point. The words didn’t need to do anything, I just needed to write them.

Once I let go of the outcome, things got easier. One word, one sentence, one paragraph at a time. Little chunks, not trolley fulls. Eventually, the words started to flow more freely.

What is the 500 Words Challenge?

The 500 Words Challenge was begun by Jeff Goins, the author. I came upon it today while I was googling Writer’s Block. Each participant commits to writing 500 words each day for 31 days. It doesn’t have to be exciting or earth-shattering, in fact, quite the opposite.

The aim is quite simple: Just write 500 words. That’s it, words on a page or PC, it doesn’t matter. You don’t even need a blog, though it helps with keeping a record of what you write.

What is the aim of the Challenge? It’s to encourage better writing habits, more focus, commitment and discipline. And the end goal? To become a better writer, of course.

Day 1

So here I am, day 1, writing my first post for the challenge. And I’m even following the guidelines, instead of careering off on a tangent. Something is working! The idea for the first post is to let people know I’m taking the challenge…Definitely a good idea for someone like me.

As I’ve said before, I’m not an organised person by nature, so I need structure to help me stay focused creatively. That’s why I started my Cavewoman blog in the first place, it was a vehicle to drive my writing.  I see this as trading up to a train…No random stops along the way!

The funny thing is, today is also my birthday. Call it serendipity, but it was strange to find exactly what I needed on today of all days. Or maybe I was more open to starting something new because it was my birthday?  Birthday Resolutions…Is that even a thing?

New Beginnings

I’ve always loved January because it’s the focal point ( At least for me ) of new beginnings.  The days are getting longer, the bulbs are starting to grow and soon we’ll see the newborn lambs in the fields. There is a sense of hope and mystery in the air. We don’t know what the future brings, but at least we can see the path ahead.

So, on my birthday, travelling the Challenge train, I’ve arrived at my first STOP sign ( 500 words written ). Of course, I could carry on to the next stop, but I think that’s enough journeying for today!