No writing is a waste
It’s Wednesday! Besides hump day, it’s the day that I begin a monthly blog hop with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Just one blog a month, on the first Wednesday of the month. Surely I can do this!
Today’s question: What happened to your first pieces of writing?
I recently found a three-ring binder with my writing from a college creative writing class. I was a freshman and many entries weren’t very good. In fact, I remember that I didn’t get to spend much time on the various projects the professor assigned because I was working 25-30 hours per week, work-study, to help pay for my tuition.
One of the assignments was to keep a journal and we’d turn in the top 20 or so entries as part of our final exam. Some of the entries were done throughout the semester, but I didn’t have enough to submit at the end, so I wrote about 10 of them the weekend before I had to turn them in. Returning to reading those entries reminded me of several of the blog hops that I’ve taken part in.
I’ve done the Blogging A to Z Challenge several times and have really enjoyed it. However, I like some of my posts better than others, because some days my ideas and writing were just better than other days. Tapping into my creativity in college to write 10 entries at one sitting was hard! And, I found that some were interesting and some were not worth the paper and typewriter ink they were printed on. (That technology reference should give you an idea of what age I was in college!)
I find the same is true in my writing today. There are blog posts that were inspired by a real-life incident or a photo that I took. Those tend to be of higher quality. There are also those that were written quickly and had more to do with what letter of the alphabet they corresponded to, than what inspired me. I’ve often thought about going back and deleting the “bad” ones, so I am only showcasing the ones that I feel are a better representation of my writing. I then realize that all of those posts, good or bad, are accurate. That writing ebbs and flows like creativity and that it’s part of the whole process. So, for now, I’ve decided to leave all of my blog posts. They are a part of my writing journey, wherever that may take me. No writing is wasted, right?!
dmweiden@gmail.com
I'm Diane, a marketing executive in the non-profit sector living in Terre Haute, Indiana. My husband and I moved from Denver, Colorado, 15-plus years ago and this blog highlights our joys and challenges in adjusting to our new home and town. I also share things I love: photography, wildlife and domestic pets, writing, knitting, making jewelry, food, travel, my faith in God and music. I'm also writing a mystery novel so stay tuned!
22 Comments
Julie Flanders
Such a good point about the ebb and flow. I feel the same about some of my posts, especially from the A-Z, but they all stay up.
So glad you decided to join the IWSG! It’s great to meet you.
dmweiden@gmail.com
Thanks for the warm welcome, Julie! It brightened my day. Good to know that I’m not alone in how I feel about my posts (the good, the bad, etc.), and that you keep all of yours. So nice to meet you too!
cluculzwriter
I know. I was amazed when I first realized not every single post would be better than the last. What a shock. I just assumed I’d get better with age. LOL. Nice to meet you, Diane. Welcome to IWSG. I’m #39. You’re going to enjoy it here.
dmweiden@gmail.com
Thanks for the welcome! I’ve almost joined IWSG many times but wasn’t sure I was secure enough (ha!) I need to do something to encourage me to write on a consistent basis. I’ve had a WIP for about 10 years (my face is turning red from embarrassment) – a cozy mystery that I just can’t finish. Hoping that my association with talented writers like yourself will spur me on to the finish line. Thanks!
Jo-Ann Carson
I totally agree. My personal blog goes back years and i like looking back and seeing my life and my writing through its lens. Sometimes I cringe, but hey that’s life.
I enjoyed your post.
Best Wishes
Jo-Ann Carson
(a fellow A to Z and IWSG er)
dmweiden@gmail.com
Thanks for visiting my blog, Jo-Ann! So glad to meet another A to Z er. I’m enjoying meeting/visiting new bloggers with IWSG. What a supportive community!
Lynda R Young
As you already know, I’m totally with you on the belief that no writing is wasted writing. I hope you do keep all the writing you’ve done in some form or another.
dmweiden@gmail.com
Thanks for the encouragement, Lynda!
Rebecca Douglass
I know what you mean about the uneven quality of the blog posts. They can’t all be winners, is the way I look at it, but I try to edit enough that at least I know they’re all spelled correctly 🙂 And that’s good enough that I’ve not deleted any (though tempted to remove those first few while I was figuring out what I was doing with the blog). I agree that no writing is a waste (it’s all good exercise), though I’m not sure all writing should be shared! But the very nature of a blog is that it’s not polished work.
Your comment about the cozy mystery you’ve been working on 10 years reminds me of my first mystery (mentioned in my own post). I think it took at least 10 years to draft, and then I tried and tried to make it a coherent story, but there had just been too much evolution in that time!
My IWSG Post
dmweiden@gmail.com
I know what you mean about evolution/time passing. My novel began in Denver, Colo., where I was born and lived most of my life. Since beginning my novel, I’ve moved to a small town in Indiana. My heroine works for a community theater and it just so happens that there is a thriving one where I live now. The dilemma – do I keep the story in Denver or do I move it to Terre Haute? I guess only time will tell. Thanks for the encouragement, Rebecca!
Alex J. Cavanaugh (@AlexJCavanaugh)
That’s right – no matter if they are good or bad, they represent your journey as a writer.
Welcome to the IWSG! You are in the right place.
L. Diane Wolfe (@SpunkOnAStick)
Go back and edit, but never delete.
Ten pieces at one shot? That would’ve fried my brain for sure.
dmweiden@gmail.com
I was much younger then, but yes, it was a brain fryer! Thanks for visiting my blog. I really appreciate it.
Susan Gourley
That’s a great point about no writing being a waste. Welcome to IWSG. So glad to have you.
dmweiden@gmail.com
Thank you for visiting! I’m glad to have found this group. I feel energized knowing that you all are here.
Jennifer Williams Fields
I have a blogger friend how has written every night for something like the past 5 years. He believes that consistency in writing is key. Not every post needs to be a winner. It’s the art of writing that matters.
dmweiden@gmail.com
That is such good advice, Jennifer. Writing is a process like any other and practice does help perfect the craft. Thanks for visiting my blog!
Lori L MacLaughlin
Welcome to IWSG! I’m glad you decided not to delete any of your writing. I keep everything I write. It’s all a part of who I am and how I got to where I am today.
Murees Dupe
I like your positive outlook. No writing is wasted indeed. Like you, my earlier blog posts do sometimes make me cringe, but I keep it up so I can see, as well as others, how much my writing has changed. My blog posts are inconsistent all the time. Some are good, others not so much:) But that is how the writing goes. Its smart of you to have kept that ring binder. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and for your great comment. I appreciate it. It was great to meet you.
Michelle Wallace
Hi Diane!
Welcome to the IWSG! Good to have you with us!
I agree that every piece of writing – the good the bad and the ugly – all contribute towards making us better writers! So keep everything.
After some editing, those discarded pieces of writing may come in handy one day…you never know… 🙂
Thank you for visiting my blog!
Writer In Transit
Julie K Pick
Hi Diane! Now I want to go back and delete several of my posts throughout the years, but I will be strong. The funny thing is some of the posts that I worked really hard on didn’t get the same positive feedback, as some of my silliest stories that I quickly slapped together. It’s like what you said about the “ebb and flow.” I’m glad you joined the group. Though I’ve had to cut down on blogging with work, I can still count on these supportive bloggers to stay in touch and lift my spirits.
dmweiden@gmail.com
Thanks for visiting my blog, Julie. I understand. Some of the posts that I’m happiest with are low performance, compared to others and I can’t put my finger on it. Yes, it’s an encouraging group and I hope to stay connected!