On this 31st day of the Two Writing Teachers’ Slice of Life challenge I’ve been thinking about the lessons that daily writing for a public audience offers and why I continue to choose to write and publish on my blog every day in March.

1. There is something incredibly special about this particular community of writers. There is a kind of welcome that encourages participation even when I feel like an imposter as a writer. Those who comment manage to find a nugget of meaning and bring it to my attention, fueling that desire to continue and teaching me to comment thoughtfully as well.

2. Even when I write every day, writing doesn’t get easier. It feels hard to have something to say that others may want to read. It’s different than writing in a journal for your eyes only, public-facing adds a different kind of pressure.

3. But, when I do commit to everyday writing I wake each day with an expectation of writing. Every moment becomes potential fodder for my writing, from elephants and play to the fun of sending and receiving postcards to the lost art of knot tying. Living a writerly life means paying attention to the little things, breathing them in so I can exhale words on the page.

4. Writing everyday makes me a different kind of reader. I notice the way other writers use language, how they develop topics, what they say and don’t say… And I don’t confine myself to books. I’m reading song lyrics, advertising copy, overheard conversations, notes scrawled on the sides of buildings and bathroom stalls…

5. When I’m writing every day, there is no perfect place or setup for accomplishing my writing. I write on airplanes, in the few minutes before I need to set up for a Zoom meeting, when I should be writing report cards, and even on the beach. Luckily my blogging app makes it pretty easy to at least get a draft going no matter where I am.

6. And I’m convinced that daily writing makes me a better teacher of writing. I’m living writing as a process…and knowing that on the other side I am also producing a product. Just like my students know that at least some of their writing will be read by someone else, I, too, expect that someone will read what I write. Writing for myself is important, but writing for others is another aspect of writing to consider whether I am writing emails, reports, newsletters, poetry, or even social media posts. Understanding writing from the inside out helps me make writing instruction more playful and responsive and is an important reminder of the power of words across contexts.

With March done, it’s time for National Poetry Month. Will I continue to write and post throughout April? That’s the plan—with the help of Verselove. Thanks Two Writing Teachers community, I hope to see many of you as we continue into April.