The Act of Writing

I have said this before, and have heard it many many times... Writing is hard.

I am sitting here trying to wrap my head around the fact that I am preparing for a writer's retreat this week.  I am breaking my brain over the dozen or so writing ideas (for articles) that I have collected in the past week.

And...

I am attempting to start the writing process for this project.

I have learned, through my blog and other writing before I started the blog, that writing is a mindset.  There are so many emotions that hit you hard when you sit down and prepare to write.  The first thought that slaps me in the face is, "what if this isn't good enough?"  I want my writing to be acceptable and meaningful.  I want it to have flow and make sense to the readers.

The next thought that stands in front of me is, "Is my idea that I am writing about relevant and worth reading?" It is one thing to get words on paper, but to get the idea out there that someone sees as important enough to read and maybe good enough to try in their classroom...that is...stressful?

When I write these blog posts, they are really RAW streams of consciousness.  When I am writing an article for publication or a chapter in a book, there are so many things to concern myself with.

Flow- is it easy to read?

Structure- is it organized well?

Fullness- is the idea complete and leave the reader understanding?

Focus- are there too many ideas rolling around in one read?

Clarity- is the idea clear and concise?

Interest- is the article interesting enough?

Voice- am I telling the story in a way that others can connect to?

The list, for me, continues on...

Be Mindful.

Peace.

Mark Levine

#Mindfulliteracy
@LevineWrites