Today in class I completed my second BDS. I wrote for 25 minutes, with two short comfort breaks at the 10 minute marks. During these breaks, I checked my posture and checked for any discomfort, as well as did the tongue check to make sure I wasn't tensing up. I was pleased to discover that I wasn't tense and that I wasn't really anxious about writing either! I was anxious up until I actually started and just went with it.
My goals for this BDS was to just get started writing the short story. I didn't mind how little I got, and I told myself to not worry about how "good" it sounded, which resulted in a wonderful surprise. I wrote a little over a page - typed, single spaced. Originally, I was also having anxiety over whether or not I picked the "right" topic and had fears of failure in the back of my mind. After this BDS, though, I'm feeling confident and less anxious. I was really happy with my product today and even found writing rather enjoyable. This is fantastic for me, because finding the pleasure in writing again is one of my overarching goals for this class!
Honestly, I'm jealous at your ability to become comfort during writing. It's something that I just can't get into the habit of. I think I've become way to comfortable with writing under pressure, and being uncomfortable and anxious while writing! Ugh.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of short story are you working on? Fiction? Not Fiction? I asked because the main focus of my BDS is changing daily. (Much like my horrible writing abilities). I am trying to figure out exactly which direction I want to head in, but a fear of failure always has me at a point where I throw a bunch of different ideas out at once thinking, one of them has to work. =( Good luck! xo
-Queen.
Deciding on an idea is difficult, for sure, especially if there is fear of failure lurking in the background. My story is creative nonfiction. It's based on an experience I had tutoring this young girl below grade level in reading. I'm not writing it for anyone but me, and I think that's taking some of the pressure off. Usually we write for a professor or some kind of audience. My audience is just myself, which takes the pressure off, for me, at least.
DeleteTry picking an experience from your life you want to write about if you're unsure. When I was younger, I used to write a lot. And when things were hard, I would write about those things. It was therapeutic in a way. Try that if you're still unsure what you want your BDS to be :)