I Wrote 104 Articles for 49 Publications in 90 Days
The 30-day challenge that became a quarter-of-the-year challenge
Time sure flies when you’re having fun!
When I completed my first 30-day challenge, it felt like a whirlwind. I finished feeling like I still had so much more to give … so I just kept going. I answered my own “to be continued” call to action and hit the 60-day mark in a blink of an eye.
And here I am, coming to the realization that 3 x 30 = 90 days and that 3 months marks a quarter of a year. Wow!
Truth be told, it’s been a rollercoaster. I’ve experienced such highs and lows in my writing journey.
I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that my daily moods are probably too closely correlated to the acceptance and rejection notes left on my articles to be healthy. And yet it seems inevitable given how much of ourselves we as writers put into our work.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
I have accomplished far more in writing than I ever thought I could — especially as a “non-professional, non-full-time writer”.
I created a writing habit for myself. Then the habit became a bit of an addiction. After addiction came a brief stint in burnout, and I discovered the best cure for burnout is a month-end bonus.
It’s been an adventure of self-exploration. Do I enjoy writing about personal experiences? Should I channel my inner academic and commit to the research? Perhaps I ought to try my hand at yet another writing style/tone and explore more genres.
Thankfully, this hasn’t been a solo adventure. The world of writing can be a lonely and vast place.
From the beginning, I sought a writing community. Meeting like-minded writers feels like giving a friendly wave to my neighbor — only these “neighbors” just so happen to live on the other side of the world and have accents that I’m envious of.
The “What if’s” and “Why Didn’t I’s”
I wish I started writing sooner. I had over a year of “pandemic life” to start writing but I hummed and hawed my way till nearly the end of the pandemic before I finally took the plunge.
As life returns to “normal”, I find myself facing competing priorities. I no longer have a “pandemic cocoon” for me to nurture my newfound identity as a writer.
I’m bracing myself because I know in the months to come, this transition back to “normal life” — returning to my 8–5 office life, needing to factor in commute time, juggling writing with after-work happy hours — will be my greatest challenge as a “pandemic writer”.
And so the Journey Continues
I have three objectives for my next 30-day challenge:
- Foster “relational writing” — This goes hand in hand with getting to know the writing community. Participating in a writing prompt (such as Diana C.’s Know Thyself, Heal Thyself) is a great way to meet more writing neighbors.
- Work smarter, not harder — My initial focus was simply to build momentum in my writing — finding my writing voice and growing into my identity as a writer. But now, maybe it’s time I finally pay attention to SEO optimization, keywords, and other mundane but important details that are part of “the game”.
- Do more with less — In the age-old debate of quality vs quantity, I believe that quantity builds to quality. Or, in other words, “practice makes perfect”. But it’s also important to ensure you’re practicing well and improving for the better — and not building bad habits.
See y’all in 30 days!