Passing the Halfway Point

Hello all, and CONGRATS on getting halfway through the 50/50 class, it's now day 29, so you only have 21 days left!
Passing over the midpoint of any class is always a good time to step back for a minute and consider how its going for you.
Often with a 50 day class, writers may find that they had a lot of momentum for the first week or two, but then that momentum dropped off and they stopped writing daily. Or maybe you are still writing daily, and the work is coming easily. But in case you need one, here are a few ways to jump-start your creativity and your writing.

Experimenting
One of the things a 50/50 class is designed to do is to allow you to experiment wildly. If you always write from your memory, try creating a character and writing from that character's point of view. If you always write stories, try writing a poem. If you always work in the imagination, try placing your awareness in the present moment and writing about the object, person or landscape that is right in front of you. There is, of course, no way to fail at a writing experiment. So if you got some text, then you did it perfectly.

Read Something New
As long as we are talking about experimenting with writing on the edge of your comfort zone, a 50/50 class is also a great time to experiment with reading more widely. If you only read non-fiction, pick up a novel. If you only read memoirs, go find a Sci Fi novel. If you never read young adult lit or children's literature, go to that section of the bookstore and pick up the first book that looks interesting. If you know nothing about popular music, go read a copy of Rolling Stone. Read at least one thing that pushes you a bit farther out into the world of language and writing and see what happens! Its not about loving that new book, its just about seeing how its made.

Go Someplace New
And while you're at it, go fill up your senses with as many new things as you can. Drive a different way going home and see a part of your town or city that you forgot about. Make a date with a friend to eat in a new restaurant and taste a type of food that is totally different from what you normally eat. Go hang out in a bakery and smell the smells, what story do they remind you of? Writing new things sometimes requires new experiences. get in the habit of taking yourself as a writer (and your notebook) with you, everywhere you go.

I know that some of you have been working in the genre of memoir/ personal stories, while others have been working with fiction or poetry. Over the next week I will be posting some text about each of these genres, to provide you with a bit more information on each one. Read through the posts, and please feel free to email me or post questions for your fellow writers or comments and let me know how your experiments are progressing. Thanks to everyone who has emailed me so far, its been great corresponding with you.

All the best,
max