It's the Words by Deb Day

I’ve considered myself a writer for a long time, but my writing life has its ebb and flows. In 2011, a blogging challenge lit a fire in me and I started filling my blog and notebooks with my stories. I practiced what I taught. I realized as a teacher of writers, I needed to write daily.

I started off great guns. I wrote a lot--not just on certain days, but all the time--

for the first couple of years.

And then things slowed a bit. And then a bit more. Before I knew it, I was hardly writing at all--again.

My blog numbers tell the story. But so do my notebooks. I let other things interfere.

Every year, less and less. I’d feel guilty once in awhile, but not enough to pick up a pen and my notebook. Not enough to open a blog page.

When I retired, I really felt like I had nothing left to contribute, no more stories to tell. Trust me. It was depressing.

I found the Teach Write tribe towards the end of 2017. Jen started her word of day writing habit (#DWHabit). I joined The Teach Write Tribe Facebook group. Checked out a couple of Twitter chats.

And I started writing again.

I now write in most mornings when it’s quiet and peaceful. I check in with Teach Write many days. And I don’t worry anymore if something is blog worthy. Words written are most important.

I haven’t really been keeping track of blog posts. But I have been keeping track of how often I write. Between my notebook and my blog, I write most days. I just feel better when I write. Days that I don’t think I have something to write about, I have backup ideas. I steal the #DWHabit word of the day from  Jen.  I have blog post ideas and other ideas on my desktop. And there’s always my Pinterest board waiting with inspiration. And sometimes, I do what I used to tell my students to do. I write whatever is in my head, even if it is “I can’t think of anything to write about.”

But no matter how I do it, the blog numbers are on the rise. I’ve now written more blog posts than the last four years and am on track to also beat the count for another. But it’s not the numbers I’m celebrating.

It’s the words.


Deb Day taught many different English classes during her twenty-eight year teaching career. Creative Writing was her favorite class to teach in the last years of her career because she could write and share with her students. She is married, the mother of two and grandmother of six. She is owned by Chloe, seven-year-old Goldendoodle. All of this provides plenty of material for her blog, Coffee With Chloe.