To Begin With

I haven't told anyone about this blog, so I doubt anyone I know will be reading it. That was not my aim.

I've always wanted to do a bit of writing, but never had the nerve to try. I'm an avid reader, and I get ideas for books are all the time. I've just never written anything down. After years of hearing bout my ambition to write a book, but knowing nothing had been done about it, my friend bought me a book called "Idea Catcher: An Inspiring Journal for Writers."

This poor unloved journal has been sitting on the bottom shelf of the coffee table collecting dust for several years. Each page has a different topic on which to write about; trying to inspire your creativity. I don't like writing in books and to me it seems more like a book than a journal. And to be honest, I've been a little afraid to try it. I mean what if I suck at writing? If I don't do it, then it is always something I can dream about doing. But if I do it and I suck, then....

Every year a friend of mine, joins the NaNoWriMo in November and every year I think, "Damn I wanted to try doing that." But each year I forget it is coming up and by the time I realize it is November, the month's half over and it is too late to start. I don't know if this would qualify as a 'self-defeating prophecy', but I'm pretty sure it would come close. I don't do it because I'm afraid I'll fail, and therefore fail, because I'll never do it. I should feel safe trying the NaNoWriMo, because one of the rules is that you DON'T HAVE TO LET ANYONE READ YOUR NOVEL. My friend has never let anyone read her's whether she finished or not. So how can you fail if no one else knows about it? It's kind of like the tree falling in the forest question. This thought accurs to me, but I still can't seem to get my fingers moving to write.

So in an attempt to prepare for NaNoWriMo 2009, I've come up with the 'idea' (no pun intended) of starting up a blog to practice my writing. What I figured I would do is pick a topic from the "Idea Catcher" Journal and write about it. I'm not promising to do this everyday, but at least a couple times a week. And I may just throw in an assorted topic or two, you never know.