Is writing like riding a bicycle? That is what I aim to find out over the coming weeks with this mini relaunch of Not Very Novel.
Getting Back On
That proverbial bike can be quite daunting. In the face of opposition from within–in the form of procrastination–and without–which takes form most often as time constraints–picking up an old habit becomes less about creating new routine than convincing yourself that old routine was worthwhile.
Slaying the dragon that is resistance
And not all of us win.
Fiddling Instead of Creating
What I have found is that the urge to fiddle with one’s medium is far more difficult to avoid than pushing oneself toward a goal.
That font doesn’t look quite right.
Is that header image aligned correctly with the navigation menu?
These are all questions that need to be addressed at some point in a writer’s process, but all too often (at least for this author) these questions take priority, pushing the material which is the focus of the author’s passion further away from completion.
One element I have forgotten over the tens of blogs that I have started and abandoned is that content comes first.
I tend to burst onto the scene with three or four topical posts, released daily, then my well dries up.
This is one bad habit that I would like nothing more than to break.
The Plan
Every Tuesday
With each new venture, I set out with a clear game plan. Unfortunately, the clarity of this plan quickly becomes clouded, and I am back to square one. Regret replaces anticipation.
Maybe those plans have been too ambitious. Maybe those plans were completely unrealistic. I could spend all day analyzing why I have failed in the past, but what is most important about failure is that one learns from his or her mistakes, brushes off, and gets back on that bike.
So, over the coming weeks, I will start producing according to a plan. If things go well with the plan, I will push my efforts a little farther week-by-week.
And most importantly, I will be documenting my progress, so that I may present some inspiration to my audience–whether I succeed or fail.
What to Expect
When I was writing regularly for Worthless Genius, I got into a clear groove. Long articles with well-researched topics and supported by relevant and entertaining images and videos.
Oh, Man! Science!
Of course, producing relevant content consistently with high quality goals can become tiring and easily lead to burnout.
So, I am going to take things slow this time.
One article published each week. One well-researched, topical and polished article each and every Tuesday for the foreseeable future.
In the vein of science, I will be recording as much data along with these articles as I can, so that we can attempt to realize more accurately the reasons for the failure or success of this venture.
So, welcome all to Not Very Novel. I will see you every Tuesday for your weekly dose of writing nostrum.
