In the past I've encouraged readers to look through their old stories. It's encouraging to see both where we came from and how far we've come since then. But I also want to encourage a stroll through your blog's archives, for some very different reasons.
1. You'll see how your blogging skills developed.
In case you're curious, this blog first began as a slightly gushy teen writing enthusiast's spot to put her ramblings. Here is my very first post, now seven years old:This is the grand opening of the Creative Writing Corner! I know there are thousands of teen writers out there just burning to get their thoughts out. I'm hoping some of you will email me with short story submissions, and I'll put the best of them on this site!
And that was it. I didn't know yet how to develop a thought into a long post, or how to stay on message. I didn't know how to structure a post or even what people were looking for in a blog. But I'd like to think I've come a long way since then.2. You'll see what concerned you in the past.
It's interesting to see what things held your attention in past years. Were you worried about improving your dialogue? Strengthening your diction? Did you have a personal or a spiritual problem that needed working out? Sometimes once we've solved our problems, we forget we ever had them, but a blog acts as a record of what we were thinking about at a certain point in time.
The flood of productivity blogs and websites out there like to remind you about how much time you waste every day. They make tidy charts and graphs, pointing out the average times spent by Americans doing non-productive things. It takes ten minutes every day to brush your teeth! Another five minutes every hour wasted looking out the window! Gasp -- a full thirty seconds out of every minute are spent with your eyes not being glued to your computer screen!
All of this talk about Apple's new
We're lucky to live in a time and place where there are so many sources of inspiration. We don't have to just read books; we can watch movies, listen to music, go to concerts. One of the ways I get inspired is actually to go to museums. Whether it's the MoMA, the Louvre, the Met, or Boston's MFA, I inevitably find something in an art exhibit that has the power to stop my heart for a moment.
Merry Christmas to all my readers and fellow bloggers! I'm home for the holidays, and Creative Writing Corner will be taking a little break in the next couple of days so I can enjoy my time with my family. But I'll be back soon with responses to comments and new posts on improving your writing. So make the most of your time with your families and have a joyful holiday season!
