I've started and stopped blogs several times over the last few years. Forgetfulness has certainly been one reason, a lack of time another. Perhaps not seeing the point of continuing a third. I live an overly verbal and communicative life to begin with considering my job, the social nature of my doctoral classes, sharing texts and social media messages with friends, and so forth.
So perhaps rather than taking the approach to blogging that was a line in Julie and Julia ("I could write a blog, I have thoughts"), I thought that having a purpose(s) would help.
I have to say that I think one reason for wanting to blog is this creeping feeling that I've had for about the last month: that I'm entering the hardest, least social part of the doctoral program. The hard part I knew--there's a reason why so many students reach ABD status and never finish. And one explanation might be the loss of the social part of the program.
Considering my program runs on a cohort model, for the last two years, I've had a steady group of friends and classmates that I could count on seeing 1-3 times per week. We laughed together, drank together, celebrated the end of finals, and many other life happenings. But then coursework is done, and it feels like I'm being directed to go into a cave and not come out until my dissertation is done. On top of that, the only people I'll have real contact with are the members of my dissertation committee.
In short, no one really talks about or warns you about the sudden isolation. The trade-off is, as one of my classmates put it, you get the opportunity to work on stuff that interests you. That's great and all, but it can still feel a bit lonely. So perhaps in the way that I would normally complain/gossip/share ideas with my friends in classes, I can possibly do that here as well.
The second reason is to get me to start writing regularly. I admit that I haven't built the same disciplined habits that some of my friends have with setting aside a specific time each day to free write. The best way that I know how to describe my own writing habits right now is as vomitous. Graphic, I know.
My writing habits tend to be the following:
1. Receive a prompt, assignment, get an idea--whatever it is.
2. Most of the time, I settle on a topic or approach fairly quickly.
3. Read, read, read. I have a tendency to overkill this step.
4. Let ideas marinate in my head.
5. Map out said ideas on napkins, note cards, random spare sheets of paper.
6. When I go to sit at the computer and write, I tend to have fully formed ideas in my head and have planned the paper/product out already. So perhaps it's like giving birth--the idea grows and grows in my head, and when it finally comes out, it's full-term.
This isn't necessarily a good thing. Oftentimes, life gets in the way of being able to get to the computer to write, and nothing promotes writer's block like the panic of looming deadlines. I get stressed, and that stress spills into everything else--my non-writing life, my ability to sleep or relax, and so forth.
My name is Erin, and I need to build better writing habits. Hi, Erin!
So, there. That's enough for now.
The goal: Attempt to blog at least once a week as time permits. I'll consider that my blogging resolution for the new year.
