Every year on November 15th marks National I Love to Write Day– a day that celebrates writing as an amazing outlet to share your wonderful ideas with the world! Author John Riddle, based in Delaware, founded this one-day celebration as he wanted to establish a day where writers of all levels can set aside time to work on their writing. From simple letters or postcards to full-on essays and novels, the sky is your limit.
People have used writing as a means of communication since the very beginning. Since the day lands in the middle of National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo), we want to offer you the perfect motivation to get your creative juices flowing. Whether you’re a novice or a full-fledged professional writer, here are few ways you can get inspired to put that pen on paper.
1. Time Capsule
Write a letter to your future self! During my elementary school days, I had a teacher who had us create a small time capsule on the first day that included our written letters addressed to our future selves on the last day of school. This activity might sound a little childish, but it is definitely a great way to set goals for yourself and see how much you have (or haven’t) changed since the time you wrote the letter.
2. Write a Letter to a Loved One
As the digital age progresses, no one really has the time to write hand-written letters when we’ve got a lightening fast keyboard at the tips of our fingers. But wouldn’t it be a pleasant surprise to receive a hand-written note in the mail from an old friend wanting to catch up? I would cherish that envelope forever! Perhaps you can take some time to write a short heartfelt note to someone you’ve been thinking about lately – they will definitely appreciate it!
3. Interview Questions
If you’re back on the market to scout for jobs, today is the perfect day to take a little time to work on prepping for those job interviews. Assuming that you’ve already got your resume and cover letter down, the next step is to create a list of potential questions your interviewer may ask. Take a look at this article to see a few examples of questions and answers to help you get started.
4. Do a Crossword Puzzle
You’ve probably had to wait in a lobby for an appointment you’ve been dreading for a while, so to pass the time (and your nerves) you pick up that worn-out booklet of crossword puzzles sitting at the end table to find its pages full of blank boxes. What do you do? Obviously, you take up a puzzle because staring into space is a lot less productive. Science shows that solving crossword puzzles can actually be very beneficial in improving brain function, such as one’s memory and vocabulary, and can be used as mental exercises for patients with brain damage and memory disorders. So why not give it a try?
5. Annotate a Book
If you’re reading this article, chances are you like to read just like we do. So why not pick up that book you’ve read about a dozen times and annotate it? This can range from underlining or highlighting quotes that inspire you to writing notes in the margins that you plan to look back on. Either way, annotating is certainly a cool way to immerse yourself into a piece of writing while also writing yourself!
There are tons of fun writing activities that go beyond this list, so I encourage you all to take some time and try out some of them! Writing isn’t limited to fancy prose or storytelling– it can be as simple as writing a grocery list or a sticky note reminder. The possibilities are endless!
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