Today is I Love To Write Day, one of several ‘named days’ which have been started in recent years to try to re-engage people with writing. It was started back in 2002 by a Delawarean writer called John Riddle (anyone who describes themselves as a Donut Eater on their LinkedIn profile is ok with me). The story of how I Love To Write Day, complete with public service announcements from Chubby Checker, can be found on the Southern Literary Review website.
I find writing a real pleasure. This is partly because a number of things need to come together to allow me to write. I need feel creative, have a bit of time on my hands, a clear head, a bit of excess energy, some peace and quiet and no – or at least only occasional – distractions. So I’m usually in a pretty good state of mind when I sit down to write. If I can inhabit this Zen-like state for half an hour or so, I’ll usually come up with a snippet of writing that I’m pleased with. I don’t consider myself to be a great writer, but I enjoy finding the right words to describe a moment or experience. It always feels like I’ve achieved something monumental, even if those words will only ever be read by myself.
The flip side of this of course is that for fairly long periods, I don’t write all that much. I’m currently working on my John Muir Conserver Award and as part of that I’m keeping a diary of my visits to Hembury Woods, but that aside I’ve been in a bit of a dry patch. Perhaps I haven’t been in that sweet spot where I’m able to write easily for quite a while. My own blog (gratuitous plug – it’s at blaggers.blog) hasn’t been updated for six months now. So it’s nice to get a nudge occasionally, to be reminded of the pleasure of just sitting down and doing a bit of writing, and I Love To Write Day has given me that spark. Maybe tonight is the night!
If you’re a lapsed writer like me, why not do the same? Grab your laptop, tablet or pen and paper, find yourself some quiet mental space, and take a few moments out to do some writing. Let us know if you’ve joined in below!