Wednesday 23rd June 2021 – National Writing Day

 Hello everyone. Hope you’re all well.

Today is National Writing Day! Which, for me, is exciting. Maybe less exciting for those of you who aren’t big on writing. But it’s still a good excuse to pull out your laptop, or get a piece of paper and a pen, and sit down with your thoughts and ideas. 

First Story states that today's theme is connection. Any kind of connection? Yes. But there are many ways you can go about writing it. It could be a poem, a letter, or a story, and it can be written as a Tweet or as if you had written on a post-it note. Whichever you prefer. There are also prompts to help come up with some story ideas, such as 'a letter to someone you'd like to reconnect with' or a 'connection-themed story or poem in a shape, like a circle or star'. Basically, the world's your oyster. 

If you want to be part of the challenge, you can share your story online using the hashtags #FilltheBox and #NationalWritingDay. You can also tweet First Story. (@FirstStory)

Now, you also don't have to do any of these things. That's the beauty of writing. You are free to do whatever you please. You can write your own story about connection, and it doesn't have to be a poem or a Tweet. It can be whatever you want it to be. It also doesn't have to be about connection.

One of the things that I adore the most about writing is how therapeutic it is for me. I can write down all sorts of feelings and put them in a story and then never have to read them again. But by writing them out, I feel like I'm working through them. And that in itself makes me feel a lot better. 

Of course, most people write because they have a story to tell. If you have a story to tell, use your voice! I know it can seem daunting, and you may not know where to start, but there are plenty of resources on the internet that can help! 

At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong answer. You write your story whichever way you think is the best. As long as you're happy with it. 

And if you want to share it, do! Share it with as many people as you like! If you don't want to share it, you can store it away if you're rather fond of keeping things, or you can throw it away. (Though I'd be heartbroken if that happened! That's your story that you want to tell!)

National Writing Day is the perfect day to start writing. So, what are you waiting for? 

First Story. “National Writing Day: 2021.” First Story, 21 June 2021, firststory.org.uk/writeday/. 

Pope, Bella Rose. “How to Write a Short Story with 11 Easy Steps for Satisfying Stories.” Self Publishing School, 24 July 2019, self-publishingschool.com/how-to-write-a-short-story/. 

Schmidt, Milena. “8 Great Ways to Start the Writing Process.” News for Authors, Feb. 2015, authornews.penguinrandomhouse.com/8-great-ways-to-start-the-writing-process/.