the Bradbury Challenge

I am finally beginning the Bradbury Challenge this week, after weeks of hemming and hawing and waiting until I was "ready". I have been rebelling against the idea that I cannot write a short story, that whatever I write will be awful, that all y'all will laugh at me.... (promise you'll only laugh if I mean to be funny, okay? Don't worry, I'll let you know beforehand.) But, the fear of not finishing only keeps us from starting, and until you start you can't be sure if you will finish.

I have pages and pages of unfinished novels collecting dust on my hard drive. Ideas that took shape into a couple thousand words before the fear of not finishing took over. Chapters that represent years of typing and note making and brainstorming. And while I have a lot of heart to show for it, I don't have a lot of concrete success or accomplishment to show for it. 

There was something said in Bradbury's lecture that stood out to me. Writing a short story per week allows you to have a sense of accomplishment every seven days. Every week you have the satisfaction of seeing a work grow from idea to concept to draft to finished project. 

For someone with depression this is a really important distinction. It is difficult to see the end of a long project and working toward a smaller project with nearly instant gratification is the boost my creativity needs. To get into the habit of writing daily, of writing with vigor and discipline, to find the courage to keep moving forward on projects that I am passionate about. I am learning my craft, practicing, honing and learning to believe in myself. 

This is the video lecture that I took this challenge from. It is an amazing lecture whether you are a fan of his work, want to be a writer, or just love the aspect of storytelling. He is amazingly funny, wonderfully irreverent and just a little bit vulgar. In short, he's adorable and you should give it a shot.