Gaining Momentum by Jowan Nabha

Writing words on paper may sound simple enough. Just write. As much as we speak, writing should just come naturally. It can’t be that hard, right? Well, it is. Harder than anything I have learned to do in my life. With most things, you learn there are specific directions on how to make it work. How to bake a cake. How to fold your bed sheets so they’re nice and crisp. Writing, however. has no prescribed directions. Yes, there are techniques to writing and becoming an effective writer. However, you first have to be able to write them down. Only you can pull those words out of your head.

What I’ve learned this year about myself as a writer is that I write best at night. Something about being a night owl opens up my creative juices. Some of my best work (if you can call it that) has come late at night when everyone in my house is fast asleep and I’m left alone with my laptop. My creative juices are put to work and the words just seem to flow. Many times the words are jumbled and need editing, but I guess that’s the messy part of writing. I’m just happy I found out just how amazing writing truly is.

My summer goal of writing 15 minutes or more a day hasn’t become a reality quite yet. I am making tired excuses for myself why it’s ok for me not to write that day. Life gets busy. I had too many errands to run. I ran out of ideas. The list continues. However, when I write, I feel overwhelmed with joy. Even if all I did was edit a sentence I wrote the day before, I feel I am making progress. Progress. It’s what’s slowly building daily to finally becoming the check mark made on that to-do list. Writing for 15 minutes daily will be checked off soon. and soon my 30-minute goal will be checked off soon as well. Who knows, I might reach the 1-hour writing goal before year end.

Jowan Nabha is an accountant turned teacher. She is currently studying Early Childhood Education at the University of Michigan - Dearborn. She’s married and has three daughters to whom she devotes all her time to. Jowan can be reached at jnabha@umich.edu or follow her on Twitter @jowan_nabha.