Wrapping Up My October Writing Challenge
Fun, But Too Confining
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Right before the beginning of October, I decided that I’d try something new. I’d always wanted to devote an October to writing October-related stuff. Halloween, horror, and other spooky-themed posts. I knew it wouldn’t be popular, and I was okay with that. I wanted to do it for me.
How did it go? About like I expected. It wasn’t popular, and my stats reflected that. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it might be to stay on topic. I enjoy these themes, so writing about them didn’t feel like a chore. My idea journal contains several items I didn’t have the time to turn into posts during the month.
Would I do it again? I doubt it. Committing to one theme, even one I love, for a month was too confining. There were times when I wanted to write about something else and didn’t. I would write more October-related stuff in a future October, but I’d be flexible about it. I wouldn’t limit myself.
I’m beginning to realize that flexibility is more important to me than I knew. I want to be able to go where the inspiration takes me, and that is a big part of what keeps writing fun. This October was a good example. Even my favorite set of themes became too limiting as the month went on. I started to feel silly as I remembered that this limitation was self-imposed.
The writing I do for work has nothing to do with freedom. There’s nothing freeing about it, and I don’t especially enjoy it. It is work, after all. The writing I do here is all about freedom. It is fun, and that’s the reason I do it. Doing things that make it feel less free undermines what I enjoy about it.
I liked my October experiment, but I’m ready to return to normal. I’m ready to write without having to ask, “Now, how am I going to connect that with Halloween or something spooky?” I wish I could say I was ready for November!
