WordPress Writing 101 Blogging Challenge – Day One: Unlock the Mind

Setting the scene for day 1: Today, take twenty minutes to free write. And don’t think about what you’ll write. Just write.

It’s bank holiday Monday in South East London and about as gloomy as you’d expect. The forecast for the weekend was pretty bland. That promise was well and truly kept. Seems theough that things might be on the change because when I walked the dogs at 5 am this morning the air smelt different. Almost as if spring was trying to edge its way in.

Super excited about getting started with this new blogging challenge, I haven’t done one for a few months. I think this will concentrate my mind and get me focused in the morning to hit the floor running as we enter into a particularly busy period in the office.

I spent a good deal of time writing, but when you work at it for a large percentage of your day you don’t much feel like writing for yourself at the end of it. That’s why people in the industry I’m in have a reputation for “cobblers shoes” syndrome. I try hard not to fall afoul of that one. It doesn’t always work.

I know what I’m writing about for the business blog today/tomorrow, so I’ll come back and add a link to it when it’s done because it’s highly relevant to this piece of writing.

My writing is quite structured and free writing doesn’t come too naturally. Typing the thoughts that are flowing through your brain, whilst sipping on a cup of coffee and being curled up in a chair doesn’t make me feel as uncomfortable as it did once upon a time. I remember vividly the gut wrenching emotions and the waves of nausea I had as I took on my first client writing assigments in 2006/7. Seems a long way back, but the memories of those feelings still feel very real to me. I think I did a blog challenge or two back then as well.

There are now kids playing out in the street who’ve attracted the dogs attention through the window. The puppy remains blissfully unaware and fast asleep. i’m waiting for the grumpy old man, Fig a Patterdale terrier, to start barking and am praying that he holds off until my timer goes off in around 7 minutes time.

Nope too late and off he goes! That’s startled the puppy and he is springing around the room startled wondering what on earth is going on. I wonder what’s going on in his head. Does he think we’re being invaded by squirrels or foxes? Making quiteing noises, you know the ones that all mothers do, so that I don’t need to shout.

Shouting and providing a naturing experience is not one of my strong suits. Oh he’s bounding towards me with a srtuffed toy and we know what that means! They’ll be no peace until I’ve worn him out, but how exactly do you wear a giant husky puppy out. I haven’t quite worked that out yet either. It always ends up with me collapsing in a heap about an hour and a half into his play time. He then spends the next 20-minutes encouraging me to carryy on playing before he too settles down for a snooze. You’ve gotta love the enthusiasm of puppies and lazy bank holiday weekends.

My time is up with you today, see you again tomorrow for more fun and games.

~K