Dear Me - 2018

Dear Me,

You know what you need to do?

You need to stop making excuses. You must stop using everyone else's actions to blame your failure to write. You must recognize that only you are standing in the way of tapping your creativity. You need to start writing. Period!

Jace, you have Post-Its and scraps of paper everywhere with ideas and one-liners you thought would make good stories. They're in your desk drawer; they're in the pack in which you carry work folders; they're in the glove box; and they're on your night stand. The fact is the only reason they're not lying around the rest of the house is your wife put her foot down about the mess. You carry around a small notebook to write down little "hallway briefings" from folks you meet about work projects--even that notebook is littered with story ideas too.

You know what you need to do!

Right?

Write! Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier and use that time to write. You already know you're the most creative first thing in the morning. You wanted to start the year with an exercise regimen--make it a writing regimen. You also have a 35-minute drive to work each morning. Turn off the radio and just think about things. Use your phone or small recorder to record any thoughts you might have, whether writing oriented or just general in nature.

It doesn't matter what you write about at this point. Jot your thoughts down on paper during those first 15 minutes each day. Develop that habit, Jace. I believe you'll find the very act of writing is the catalyst you need. After all, a catalyst by its very nature is something small that sparks a bigger reaction. Since you've placed your writing pretty much on hold to expand and grow your business over the past 18 months, writing now is like starting from the beginning. Baby steps.

Time to return to what you found when you first joined Writing.Com almost ten years ago--a place where like-minded writers could hang out, practice their craft, read and review fellow writers, and even get published. Become reacquainted with old friends. Introduce yourself to new ones. Return to your love of reviewing, and helping others. And dive into all the nooks and crannies of the site that once held wonder. It's time to be a Newbie again, enjoying all the features and camaraderie the site entails.

Jace, welcome back.

Me

Word count: 412