Sunday January 1st, 2023

A Few Final Thoughts

While it sometimes feels like this blog began a lifetime ago, it actually began two lifetimes ago - before both Max, now ten, and Miles, now six (and two-thirds), were born. This is noteworthy for two reasons. One: this blog is really, really old. I've been doing this for very nearly fourteen and a half years. That's a long time.

And second: my life now is very, very different than it was back when Daily Writing Practice began. Two kids take up a remarkable amount of time and energy. A full-time job is, well, pretty close to what it sounds like.

In short, I've had a lot less... just a lot less to give to this blog. I tried doing it differently, no longer writing to the prompts myself (other than the yearlongs) in an effort to keep up with responding to comments. It didn't really work, though I certainly tried to convince myself for long enough that it was sorta working.

It was both a shock and a relief to fully realize that it was time to stop. To let this struggling, shambling reanimated thing finally rest. To allow the time and energy I have devoted to it to rest, and have space to breathe, and look around to see what else it might like to do instead.

I had been writing stories for the boys that I would read to them on Sunday night (hence the inspired title of Sunday Night Stories) and I only missed a couple of weeks over the course of a touch over a year. I put a pause on them when we were on the island this summer... and never got back to it. I'm happy to report I'm working on one now and am very much looking forward to surprising them with it when it is done.

This is one of the things I will be spending more time on. What else will there be? I'm not 100% sure yet. I have a couple writing projects that need finishing. I have ideas for others yet begun. I'm excited to see what comes next.

But for now... thank you for reading and responding and putting up with my erratic posting and terminal backlog of comments. I'm not closing the door on the blog ever starting up again, but I am definitely shutting off the lights and boarding up the windows for the time being.

So long for now, and I hope you keep writing. I know I will.

Saturday December 31st, 2022

The exercise:

Write a four line poem about: a finale.

Mine:

So here we are: the final curtain;
How we got here, I'm not quite certain.
While it's been a trip, I must admit,
It is well past time for me to quit.

Happy new year! I'll see you for one final post tomorrow.

Friday December 30th, 2022

The exercise:

Write four lines of prose about: the final days.

Thursday December 29th, 2022

The exercise:

Write about: infighting.

I don't know that there could be any stronger confirmation that it's past time to end the blog than the fact that I've got two prompts left after this one and have had zero inclination to do anything special to wrap things up.

Also... I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've mentioned it in a post. It's really just been a discussion in the comments, and not much of one at that.

So, uh, heads up, in case you somehow missed it: the blog will see it's final prompt on December 31st, and then one final post that may or may not feature a prompt on January 1st.

Wednesday December 28th, 2022

The exercise:

Write about: winding down.

Tuesday December 27th, 2022

The exercise:

Write two haiku about: snowfall.

Monday December 26th, 2022

The exercise:

Write about: the winter prince.

Inspired by something Miles said while on top of a very large pile (mountain) of snow in a nearby parking lot.