A Lesson On Rules

This semester, I am taking a Creative Nonfiction class as one of my writing genres to get my degree. In this class, we are usually tasked with writing a piece on whatever our teacher decides he wants us to write on. Today's assignment was on rules. We can write anything we want to as long as it fits under the topic somehow. I decided I wanted to share this on my blog because I am proud of what I have written. The comments I got from my teacher surprised me. I was told that my voice in the piece is clear and natural and that really surprised me. When I am writing, I often find myself struggling to find my voice and the piece never turns out the way I want it to. However, with this piece, I found myself just writing and not thinking about the words that I was putting on the page. I think that I produce well written pieces when I am able to stop thinking about it and just write. I believe that there is freedom in doing so, and I love being able to set myself free from worrying about each and every word that I am trying to put on the page. I'll stop my tangent now. Without further ado, I present: Rules to Live By.

Rules to Live By

Rule Number One: Make your bed every day. No matter what, I try to make my bed every morning. After I wake up in the morning, I get out of bed and shower, then I make my bed. I suppose the years of my mom telling me to make my bed finally stuck. Or perhaps this is me finally moving up in the world towards total adulthood.

Rule Number Two: Don’t forget to eat. I know, I know. How can someone forget to eat? Well, I have…on numerous occasions. Oftentimes, when a spark of inspiration bitch slaps me in the face, I end up typing away at my laptop for hours on end until it is way past time to eat. Then, like an idiot, I choose not to eat. With that being said, don’t forget to eat because you will starve…and then die.

Rule Number Three: Get off your lazy ass and go outside. I tend to spend my time sprawled across my futon binging shows on Netflix. I constantly think to myself as I am watching Netflix, that maybe I should go outside and do something. Maybe I could go find inspiration for my blog that I have neglected these past few months. There was a time where I cranked out blog posts like it was nothing because I went for walks to find something to write about. Now, I’m just lazy.

Rule Number Four: Write something for your blog every day. No. Once a week. Or is it once a month? Maybe it’s once every two months. I forgot what I last told myself it would be. Either way, I have broken this rule for myself so many times that I just end up apologizing to the few people who avidly read my blog. I used to write for myself, finding new things to do and new inspirations. But now I lack inspiration to do a simple thing like writing a blog post. Actually, it’s not that I have writer’s block, its that I don’t push myself to write more often. There is a quote I read at some point that said writer’s block is just procrastination. After using it as an excuse so many times, I have realized this to be true.

Rule Number Five: Write. Even if you think it is absolute shit, write. There is always time to edit and people who will look at your work and help you to make it better. I suck at this rule the most. I am often insecure about the words that I put on the page thinking that someone is going to judge me based on what I write. I have always been afraid of what people think of what I write. But I have realized that none of my work will ever get better if no one else sees it. I think that is part of what encouraged me to start my blog two years ago. Even though I have been neglecting my blog lately, it is still a way for me to share my writing whenever I do write a post. My blog has helped me overcome the fear of others hearing what I have to say, but the thought of being judged still looms over my head like a pendulum. But hey, who ever said you had to listen to what people say about your work. In the end, other people’s opinions on it are merely suggestions that the author can choose whether or not to follow.