My Greatest Challenge Yet...

I’m a college graduate.  Not only am I a college graduate, I am the holder of a degree in Theatre Performance and Creative Writing.  While I use the skills I learned in college daily, I have recently found myself slipping into the routine I’ve been trying to avoid my entire life- the norm.  I work a 40 hour a week job and then head home and read a book, nuzzle with my dog, or give attention to the ever needy boyfriend (truth is… I’m the ever needy one).  While all this is quite far from painstakingly horrendous, it is normal.  My dreams always landed me on the balcony of a high rise in some non-existent perfect city, dressed in a suit, sipping a martini, surrounded by attractive people, and listening to Frank Sinatra as everyone moved around me in a slow motion black and white wonderland.  Needless to say, I’ve learned this world does not exist, except in my mind.  This realization has caused my mind to grow mundane, predictable, and pragmatic.  I shudder just thinking about how much my mind has “settled” over the past year and a half.  Needless to say, I want my visions back.  I want to continuously create worlds in my head that I can return to whenever I need the kick of last year’s dreams.  I want to create for others worlds they can escape to when the copier stops working, their kids are screaming their lungs out, and the day just seems like too much.  I want to have a creative outlet that keeps me sane.  And so, I find myself here, where I can develop these worlds and challenge my mind to continually create.  I am setting a challenge for myself.  Every night, I will sit down for about 30 minutes to 1 hour and write.  Every day, I have a challenge.  However far I get is however far I get.  Some of the writing will be terrible; some (I pray) will be genius.  But whatever is created will be shared with you.

The daily challenges are as follows:

    Short Play Sundays: 

    Think 365 Plays 365 Days by Suzan-Lori Parks (if my heart will give me the strength).

    Manic Mondays:

    Inspired by suggestions on my Facebook (from Nikki Madigan), this will be a free-writing day where I 

    will rip out an old fashioned notebook and go to town letting my mind wander wherever it may go.   

    Prepare yourself.

    True Dat Tuesday:

    Non-Fiction writing inspired by this beautiful life I lead.

    Hump Day Havoc:

    (Wednesday) I’ll be taking suggestions from friends, family, readers, etc. on what to write.  I’ll keep a 

    collection of suggestions, put them in a hat, and draw one at random.  Wish me luck. (And give me ideas!)

    Things of Fiction Thursday: 

    Short stories pulled from the filing cabinets of my mind.  This is my greatest challenge, as short stories are 

    my arch rival.

    Photo First Friday:

    I will find a photo from a hefty Google search (or suggestions from readers) and allow the photo to give 

    me words- in VERSE!

    One Sentence Saturday:

    I get one sentence, and that is all.  I better make it worth it.

And so there it is.  Posts will be uploaded the morning following their creation (i.e. Short Play Sunday will be uploaded Monday mornings) since I do not have internet at my house.  Oh, the life of a poor AmeriCorps!  November 1^st, 2012 marks day one of this challenge.  And, break!