Man, what a ride the #Februaryinleo writing challenge was! What started like a journey with no end, finally wrapping up today. Looking back, I have got some thoughts to share on how it all went down for me. Buckle up, this will be my second feedback on the writing challenge.
The Lowdown on the Challenge
When I first heard about this challenge from the Inleo crew, I wasn't sure what to expect. A new writing prompt EVERY DAY for the whole month?! The dedication that it must've taken to come up with 30 unique topics is straight up impressive. Props to the organizer for cooking that up. And the variety was out of this world. It seemed like they pulled prompts out of a hat, because one day it'd be new Usecases for Blockchain. Next, a Gadget that can change lives. It was dope seeing how creative they got with finding new angles to spark our writing creativity.
Getting into the Groove
The first week was an adjustment period for sure. Juggling between business, a corporate job, family duties, and trying to bang out a new submission every evening? Your boy was busier than a bee in a hive! It took some trial and error to figure out a workflow. By the second week though, I had it dialed, carving out chill time most nights after the kids went to bed. First up was diving deep into Google to get schooled on whatever the prompt was about. I'm talking hours-long research sessions, taking notes the whole time. Then once I had all the pieces, I'd just let the ideas flow freely onto the page.
The Highs, Lows and Everything In Between
Some nights the writing just flowed like water. Other times, major writer's block hits and it was a struggle. Staying motivated on the days with no engagement was rough too, not gonna lie. The upvotes and comments really fueled me. It was also a bummer when topics deserved way more time than a single evening to do them justice. In that case, I just let it slide. Juggling work schedules with family duties meant a few layoffs along the way too. But powering through built some serious discipline that I'm still benefiting from now.
Leveling Up My Craft
Looking back, it's crazy how much my dedication to writing improved over the month. The regular prompts sharpened my skills like a pro. I was also learning new stuff constantly from all the research, with new tech vocabulary straight up too. It was a great experience how the exercise went through. Of the 29 days writing prompts, I was able to push in 19 submissions. That's not a bad score, I guess. Shoutout to all the readers who took the time to read my submissions and encourage me with upvotes, you all kept me going.
Recommendations to Keep the Energy High in the Next Round
To take things to the next level next time around, a few tweaks could keep the momentum rolling.
Make a feature post of the best submissions weekly to fuel inspiration.
Get the organizers more involved with feedback on every submission to light that competitive fire.
Encourage writers to engage with others' submissions, that would make the whole experience so much more rewarding for everyone. You love to see a tight-knit and engaging community like that.
In Summary
All in all, this challenge took my writing to new heights and I'm grateful for the growth. Props again to the Inleo community for running such a dope program. Literacy initiatives like this are so valuable. With a few adjustments to keep that energy high, the next one will be even more lit, I can feel it! Your boy will definitely be back for more.
#febuaryinleo #progressreport #worldonthursday