Tag / writing challenge

by caitlyncallahan14

1,000 words

A picture is worth a thousand words.

How many times have you heard that saying? Probably at least a thousand, referencing both good and “bad” photos (we all have at least one picture on our Facebook we are embarrassed about).

Pictures can evoke emotion, bring back memories, tell a story… each worth a thousand words.

But have you ever sat down, looked at a picture, and written 1,000 words?

I hadn’t. Until today.

While reading a book about tapping into and expressing creativity, the author (a photographer) described how each photo he takes, he embodies how photography is about capturing a moment and creating a story – at least 1,000 words worth.

It sparked an idea for me – I’ve never actually written 1,000 words about a picture. And what better way to practice writing, express creativity, and hone my craft than doing just that?

The general guideline is each typed page is about 500 words, so I sat down at my typewriter to write out about two and a half pages (since typewriter keys are larger than typical computer font). I scrolled through my phone’s photos and selected one I took today of my view from my patio chair. It’s not a spectacular photo, and it’s not of a spectacular time, which I thought would make for a challenge.

You don’t realize how many words 1,000 words really is until you’re writing them. But I found that my fingers flowed across the keys and typed out 2.5 pages in just under half an hour. Even though I had taken the photo only a couple of hours before, I felt so much emotion writing about it. Gratitude, joy, satisfaction, relief, content. I described the sky, trees, flowers, and grass. My dogs. My book. The sun. The breeze and warmth from the day.

Honestly, I could have written 2,000 words. Maybe more.

And the point is it got me writing. It inspired this blog post. I spent half an hour of my day writing, letting my mind wander, exercising my fingers on the keys. Practicing my craft.

I’ve written before about Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert rule. Today I added to my expertise.

I encourage you to take at least 30 minutes a day to practice your craft. To better yourself. Whether it’s exercising, writing, reading, learning, cooking, painting, knitting, or whatever it is that you love to do, start with 30 minutes. And then make time for 60. Or, if you have a busy day, take just 5 or 10 minutes.

And if you’re a writer, I encourage you to take or choose a photo and write 1,000 words about it. Tell a story. Feel the emotion from the photo, or evoke emotion from the viewer and reader. It doesn’t have to be perfect. But the more you do it, the more you practice, the better writer you will be.

by caitlyncallahan14

a cup of coffee and a pen

If you’ve poked around on my website or read any of my blogs, you’ve probably come to the understanding that I’ve always loved to write. Ever since I was a kid, I’d be making up poems and short stories, family newsletters, articles, journal entries, and anything else I could click out on the typewriter or scribble in my notebook.

Throughout my life, I’ve never lost that love or passion for writing, which is why I am where I am today – working in the marketing field, freelancing and owning my own digital consulting business. And while the consistency ebbs and flows, I still write as much as I can.

I believe practice makes perfect. The more you practice a new skill, the better you become at it. If you believe Malcolm Gladwell, after 10,000 hours you will be an expert at that skill. That’s 416 days of constant practice. I’d say over my lifetime, I’ve accomplished 416 days of practice writing. I’d say that makes me an expert.

However, just because I’m an expert doesn’t mean I get to stop practicing. I have a few pretty consistent writing gigs for clients, generating blog posts on various topics for their websites. I also write for my full-time job. While I do consider this practice, because I’m still writing, it’s not what helps me retain my expert status.

Instead, it’s the writing I do for fun. The journal I try to update every day. The poetry that sometimes just flows out of my brain. This blog. “Short stories” or scenes I see while I’m laying in bed or day dreaming watching the birds in my backyard. When I have to grab a pen and scribble as fast as my hand can write, or type it out on my laptop or phone because it’s faster and I don’t want to forget. Most of the time it’s whatever comes however it comes, without editing or thinking. This is the practice that will help me to rise above and continue to improve – for myself and my clients.

Here’s a challenge for you.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee. Or tea, if that’s what you prefer. Pick up a pen and notebook, or scrap piece of paper, or grab your laptop or phone or tablet – whatever “writing” instrument you prefer. Sit and place the cup of coffee within your eyesight, or you can hold it. And write. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? How does the coffee smell? How does it taste? Describe the cup. Write about your surroundings. Detail the coffee, the way the creamer swirls around or the steam rising off the top. Spend about 5-10 minutes just writing. Don’t think, don’t edit, just write.

Did you complete the challenge? That’s practice.

For as long as I can, I will continue to practice. Continue to improve myself and my ranking as an expert. I’ll do it for my clients and my career, but also for myself. Because I love it, and it can be as simple as writing about my cup of coffee.