As some of you may know, I have been through quite a lot, I recently had my 18th surgery and I was suicidal for a few years. I would like to write a book to tell my story in the hope that my experiences will help others.

However, I have been wanting to do this for years, taken numerous writing course but to no avail. I am currently on holiday and have just read the book Bird by Bird written by Anne Lamott. I have found numerous snippets to help me on my writing journey but the one I have decided to grab by the jugular is this. Aim to write three hundred words a day.

So, this is what I have challenged myself to do.

Anne Lamott, also discusses the fact that one should just write because no-one reads the “Shitty first draft”. I have made a decision, that I may live to regret. People are going to read my “Shitty first draft”

I will write at least three hundred words every day this year (or until I get death threats if I don’t stop writing). No particular theme planned as yet but one might materialise. These excerpts, for want of a better expression, will then be posted on my blog, without being edited (other than spelling mistakes). What you read will be exactly what I wrote straight away. I know, no writer in their right mind would do that, I am pretty sure that in no time at all it will become blatantly clear that I am not in my right mind. Besides, if you don’t take risks you will never know what you are capable of.

One of the reasons I have chosen to share my daily writing exercises is I need your help. When we first start something new there is always an element of excitement that provides momentum. However, as time goes by and the novelty wears off, so does the momentum and this is when we are prone to giving up. I want to write my book so badly that I am prepared to be vulnerable and share my ramblings with you in the hope that over time I will find my voice, my writing style and my courage to get the job done.

If you would like to join me on this journey, please subscribe to my blog. On the right hand side of the post is a box for your email address, fill that in and click on the follow button below and you will receive a notification each time I post.

If you choose to follow me and would like to encourage me to keep going please like the posts but more importantly, please leave a comment. This doesn’t have to be positive, although that is rewarding it doesn’t help me improve. Therefore, if you leave a comment, please add why you felt that way. For instance, if you like it, say why e.g. it made you laugh, it resonated with you, you like my style. Alternatively, if you didn’t like it, say why e.g it made no sense, your sentence structure needs improving, it was just plain boring.

And then…

If you don’t mind.

Give me some hints or tips on how to improve, e.g. I want to understand why you felt that way. I need more detail, give me some senses, what did you see, what could you hear. By the way, I know I haven’t used senses in my first 2 so you probably don’t need to spell that out for me. Anything you can add that will help me grow as a writer witl be gratefully received. Well, maybe not gratefully when I first read it but once I have taken my head out of the oven, calmed down and appreciated the fact you are helping me. Then I will be grateful.

I will finish this now, unedited, as stated.

I hope to have you on board, if you’re up for it, remember to add your email address and hit the follow button.

Thanks in advance,