More than to-do lists

I've been writing in these notebooks for over four years. Most of what I write is the usual notebook fare. What train I need to get tomorrow or a list of things that I should be doing, but aren't. Ironically, one of those things is to write more frequently.

Writing for me is very like photography if I don't do it frequently, which I don't, I get rusty. Where photography differs is that I have to shoot, I don't have a choice. Coffee aside, and we need to talk about that at some point, photography is the closest thing I have to an addiction. If I don't shoot I get irritable, restless, I'm just not comfortable in my own skin. Writing doesn't prompt me in the same way, so time slips by; days become weeks, weeks roll into months. Suddenly, or not so suddenly, I realise my last blog post was five months ago.

I've recently come across the work of Dan Milnor. Dan's a documentary photographer whose work I admire; he's a cyclist, I'm a cyclist, but he's also a writer. The principle difference is application. I signed up to Dan's mailing list, expecting to get an article once a week. I quickly realised Dan isn't a once-a-week sort of a guy; those posts come through every day. The writing is crisp, funny at times and most importantly, engaging. I want to know what Mr Milnor has to say. I'm sure Dan probably has a natural talent for writing, I also believe honing that skill every day is crucial.

So this is by way of a marker in the sand, I'm going to try to post once a week, I'm not getting into Milnor territory here. It may only be a few paragraphs, but I'm hoping it's going to sharpen the dull blade that my writing has become.

Let's be careful out there.