Have you ever noticed how when you focus your attention on something, that thing grows? It works for both bad and good: you focus on your fears, and you become paralyzed with terror, or you focus on your co-worker’s faults and those minor flaws balloon into defects of character. And the good? If you give attention to your garden – if you water, prune, prop up seedlings, talk to the flowers – your plants flourish; if you carve time for exercise, your body becomes stronger; and if you declare 2014 to be The Year of the Craft, if you put your head down and dedicate your writing year to craft-work, your writing life expands beyond the borders of your blog.
At least that’s what happened to me a couple of weeks ago when I received an email from Krista, an editor at WordPress.com, asking if I would be interested in writing a guest post for The Daily Post‘s Weekly Writing Challenge. The Weekly Writing Challenge, published every Monday, is a craft-focused prompt intended to spur the blogger into new writing territory. I’ve participated in previous challenges, and when I received Krista’s email asking if I’d like to write one (hello craft-work universe!), I wondered if I should mute my enthusiasm and act all professional by responding with a “Thank you for the invitation. I would be happy to consider writing an installment.” Instead I wrote something to the effect of “YES! YES! YES!”
This is why I don’t get paid.
Anyway, the challenge I wrote – Weekly Writing Challenge: Object – is live today, and I hope you will play along. It was inspired by dozens of prompt-based generative writing sessions with my writing group, in writing workshops, and at my desk at 6:00 am, rubbing sleep from my eyes, wondering what I’ll write about while I pull a slip of paper from a gold and white Chinese tea tin.
If you are looking for tips to get you started, try this post:
Five Tips for getting words on the page
Thank you again to Krista, Michelle, and the editorial team at WordPress.com for thinking of me. I hope I did y’all proud.
Butterfly Mind 
This is interesting. I came to realise that what you need to give back is right there at the source. The fountain where we all drink from. Thanks for your ‘like’
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i don’t know if you’ve read this book, zen in the art of writing, by ray bradbury. it’s very good.
Click to access zen_in_the_art_of_writing.pdf
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I have not read that one – I’m adding it to my list. Thanks so much!
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Just read this post and the feature post.
Maaahvelous, dahling!
Proud to know you.
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This was a lovely challenge Andrea, and it fitted perfectly with the photo of the weal winter sun which I caught on my way home from a dog walk yesterday. How fabulous to be contacted and asked to do this…..like being touched by the wordpress finger of God 🙂
And now I’ve discovered your wonderful blog….so it’s all good!
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Great idea: I have added mine to the list!
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Andrea, thank you for this challenge. I’ve been empty. Too much surgery and tiredness and frustration. I’ve been devouring books, missing my students, and working on my master’s degree. Yet I missed your posts and reading your beautifully simple mastery of language. it always inspired. So I’m prayerfully considering the challenge. But I will be reading and watching your writing develop and grow. I look forward to your first book of essays. Really.
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I do hope you’ll write something for the challenge. You’ve always got wonderful things to say. Thank you so much for your support.
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Andrea, I did it! I don’t think it went through though. I did the pingback linking, but I didn’t see it listed as a response. Here it is though. Thanks for your encouragement. I’ll get it to work next time.
http://cindyloucamp.com/2014/02/
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I’ve worked hard on making this a new way of approaching writing. I think with practice this could be inspiring for many stories. Thank you for taking the tine to post this.
Isadora
http://insidethemindofisadora.com/2014/02/25/hobbies-emerge-from-odd-places/
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I loved the journey this prompt took me on. It highlighted how often one thing sparks off a whole big thing! Thank you for all the pointers. The prompt posts I have read are moving, funny and brilliant!
all good things
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