J.R. Writing Advantage

Prose, puppies, and produce! It's a great day at the Bethesda Farmer's Market. Come say hi!

📖😰 Breaking Through Writing Anxiety. What’s Your Fear? 😰📖

What do we fear most when writing? Why do some write with joy and ease, while others dread the process? Weren’t we all beginners at some point, in the same writing boat? What then happened during our development to lead us on such very different paths? Was it a dogmatic teacher who stifled our belief in ourselves? Even as late as graduate school, a professor managed to stifle my process with his own rigid practice. It took me some time to forget this nonsense and return to my usual, free-spirited style, but I did. Perhaps some were never taught to enjoy writing, but to use it only as a tool. Or maybe the lack of belief in their own writing came when most doubt surfaces…in puberty. Whatever the cause, I hope to allay some of those fears in the coming weeks with my new seven-part writing series: Breaking Through Writing Anxiety.

Hey, everyone, as a writer and educator for over 20 years, I have seen a sharp decline in reading from adults and children. If we can try to squeeze in 30 minutes of reading a day, several times a week, it would do a great deal not only to improve our writing skills—imitation is key here—but would keep our brains nimble in the face of our daily tech diet. A recent article in Slate, based on government research, confirms that our reading muscle, like writing and exercise, strengthens when completed more often. But don’t worry, you can start slowly
by adding 15 minutes once or twice a day, or 30 minutes once a day, a few days a week. Give it time, though; you may feel antsy at first, as reading is a muscle we must build or rebuild again.
And, just like the writing zone I often mention, there is a reading zone we may also enter if we allow ourselves the time to take the trip. Happy reading!

There’s a Simple New Year’s Resolution That Will Help You Read More Books I tried it—and the results were fantastic.