Howdy everyone,

Yesterday’s post marked the culmination of a year-long project to write an original piece every single day. I’d like to talk a little bit about what I’ve learned (personally) from the process.

Don’t write a new piece every day if you’re expecting perfection. The old adage that writing every day is a good habit rings true, however, after about a month I realized that writing and posting so quickly eroded a lot of the stylistic flourishes that I really enjoy writing. More so, editing every day becomes a struggle when combined with daily obligations, work, etc. Leaving a bit of leeway with the daily output was the only way to stay sane.

Writing a unique poem everyday will alter your style. My poems towards the end of the year lacked the strict structures and alliteration that I really enjoy writing, but it was a chance to explore a lot of different patterns and styles and see what I liked.

It’s okay to write multiple poems about the same topic. I don’t know why this initially felt like a sticking point to me, but it was necessary to overcome. Look at how many love verses Shakespeare wrote without ever fully capturing the emotion – there is always something new to say, or a new way to say it.

All that being said, I don’t think I’m going to continue writing a fresh poem every day. I’ve decided that, personally, I enjoy sitting with my poems for a week or so and really tinkering with them line-by-line. Although I suspect this comes down to personal preference, I think the most beautiful lines emerge in the editing process.

Thanks for sticking with me,
Wolf.