This is cool.. a group of ladies from my MFA program have formed a writing group. They meet every Thursday evening and write in 30 minute sprints with breaks in between to chat. It’s for accountability and camaraderie and, aside from the fact that by 8pm my brain is completely done for the day, it’s a great idea!

Last night was our first session and it was super! (Well, except the being tired part). I was largely unprepared and didn’t have a clue where to start, but then I’m the girl who declares she needs no inspiration to write. Give me a topic and I’ll just start running my fingertips over the keyboard and .. “waa-la!”.. poetry. I’ll add the very serious disclaimer that most of it is just rubbish but sometimes there are some gems hidden among the fluff.

This first session was no exception for that either. I quickly found a writing prompt website that had 365 suggestion, presumably one for every day if the year. I navigated down to #16, opened a new Evernote note and began. In two 30 minute sessions I had cranked through about 7 prompts – some with more content than others, but still a pretty decent amount for the time allotted. In my estimation, if I can continue to do the same thing, 7 prompts each week, then that will take me through the entire year. That would mean dedicating my one night a week for new writing only, as opposed to spending some of the sessions on revisions instead. I dunno, at least it something to consider as I am still rolling ideas around in my head about goals for the new year. That’s a pretty good writing goal, and having the accountability group is the bonus plan.

Another question and thought that popped into my head after this session was what I could potentially do to have even more accountability and not just dismiss these little writing endeavors as soon as they are through. What might make me revisit what I have written and sort through the fluff for the gems? I could potentially profess that one of my goals for the year would be to post one new “first draft” poem or story online each week. That would mean I would have to select one of the things that I started, put some more thought into it, and clean it up enough to post “somewhere”. I think that could be a brilliant idea but the question is where? Not here, most certainly, as this really isn’t the designated forum for new and unpolished creative writing. No. I think this space should remain dedicated to my daily musings, struggles, and triumphs. I have some other thoughts, but we’ll see what solidifies once the dust of these new ideas settle.

There you have it… the start of something new – and perhaps more. That’s a great way to start a Friday.
Until Next Time,
~Miss SugarCookie