Platform for Writing

 It's been years since I acknowledged my writing itch, but when I had my mid year review a couple weeks ago for work, I discussed writing with my bosses, and they were on board with me working towards adding writing some articles for work.  We came up with the idea of me writing as series for a recent project my Team is working on, as a way to get me started writing and for some promo material for our marketing team.  

It feels a little daunting, so I'm here to start sorting this goal out into smaller steps / measures of progress. And to start getting this stuff on paper..... to Practice Writing.  (Seems like an important step for a writer.... to write). 

I went back to revisit some of the resources I'd been interested in and studying years ago (I think Charlie was a newborn and he's now 6).  I signed up for his 500 words a day for 31 days challenge, so this is where I plan to start that habit as well.  

And outline my work writing project, milestones, steps, etc.  

Step 1. Start writing.  

Step 2. Keep writing.

Step 3. Figure out the next steps.

Okay, that was ~200 words.  So, 500 a day seems totally doable, especially if I have a writing prompt.  I assume that’s what I’ll get from the challenge, but who knows.

So other steps for my work writing project:

• ·         Research platforms / places that could publish my article(s).  Laura suggested:
• o   IIDA
• o   Learning by Design Magazine
• o   Ask Marketing
• ·         Read articles from those platforms / online magazines / journals.
• ·         Brainstorm ideas for articles / series
• ·         Come up with a spin / angle, etc. for the series.  Laura mentioned Aaron’s talk about ACE’s of space, and using the spin of being a resource for helping disadvantaged students.
• ·         Outline the overall & review with Aaron and Laura; discuss with Marketing
• ·         Set up milestones / check in points (self = monthly, team = quarterly)
• ·         Reach out to past clients for quotes / interviews about the topic and my work with them.

I think other sidebar steps I would like to take are getting advice on how to start from other writers.  Though I feel like I quickly stumbled across one suggestion that I’m implementing.  To just START.  And here I am, started.  Also, I’m keeping a close eye on my word count.  I feel very much like Lucy from “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” writing her book report on Peter Rabbit.  The Very, Very, Very, Very, Very….. End.

Again, it’s practice, I think I’ll get better at this.  And look, here I am ‘half assing’ something, which is another goal of mine in my Balance 365 program.  To get out of the perfectionist cycle.  Just start.  Do something.  It doesn’t have to be great or perfect, but the perfectionist tendencies are what’s held me back for this long (weeks since ‘announcing’ the goal of writing articles, months since deciding I’d rather pivot my goal from adding speakerships to my resume to writing, and YEARS since I started noodling around the idea, listening to podcasts and considering what my life would be like as a writer.

I did a Yoga for Writers video from Yoga with Adrienne yesterday.  I’m guessing that’s what sparked this sudden move from ‘thinking about it’ into action….. probably not, though.  I think it’s a lot of things that have moved me from the ‘contemplation’ phase to the action phase.  But I feel like today is truly just one small, tiny, but INCREDBLY IMPORTANT step.  Now to take the next step, and then the next steps, and on, and on. 

There over 600 words.  Done J