This September, The Porch is hosting its first-ever Write-a-Thon, and we couldn’t be more excited. The idea is simple: dedicate the month of September to writing, in whatever form that works for you. Whether it’s 30 hours, 30 pages, or 30 poems, the goal is to keep showing up for your work. The dual purpose of the Write-a-Thon is both practical and celebratory: to give writers motivation and accountability, and to raise funds for Porch scholarships so that our classes remain accessible to all writers in our community. As I write this piece a week before the Write-a-Thon officially begins, we have already surpassed our initial goal and raised over $2,000, which will fund over 30 scholarships! And it has been incredibly heartening to see so many writers commit to this program from Nashville and beyond. 

As the Write-a-Thon participants (including myself) prepare for a month committed to reaching our personal goals, I wanted to share three tenets on writing that I have shared with my students over the last decade, that I hope will help anyone who might be feeling intimidated by the idea of writing for a set amount of time, like “writing 1 hour every day” or “writing 30 hours in a month.” 

Writing is Messy

What I’m about to say might sound obvious, but this is something that I have personally learned the hard way: a finished or published work of writing rarely has any resemblance to its first draft. In my earlier years of writing, I tended to be a perfectionist, especially with the first page, or even just the first paragraph or sentence. Even if I had ideas for the project as a whole, my writing muscles froze if I felt that the opening wasn’t working well. This not only meant that I wrote slowly—sometimes, it meant that I lost hope in that project and stopped writing altogether. 

The thing that took me out of this habit was accepting the messiness of the writing process, and allowing myself to write an opening that I would label a “placeholder,” something I vowed no one else would see. I would draft the rest of the pages, which would also eventually be scrapped or rewritten, and return to the opening with a renewed sense of gratitude for this “raw material” that I could continue to mold. 

Given this “messiness,” it’s important to remember that the act of deleting what you’ve written still counts towards writing. Re-reading what you wrote is a part of it, too. Experimenting with writing exercises that relate to the topic—even if that exercise never makes its way into the final draft—still counts. Why? Because writing it, deleting it, or saving it for another project, are all necessary for the writer to realize what the final draft needs, and therefore doesn’t. 

What I’m really trying to say is: writing doesn’t always look like scribbling or typing non-stop, and it certainly doesn’t mean that what you write must remain in the final product. If you spend your 30 hours this September writing many paragraphs and pages that you end up deleting, I’d say that’s still a month well spent. 

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Writing is a Process

Hopefully I’ve made it clear that writing is a messy process, but what do I mean when I say “process”? When I think of any piece, whether it’s a blog post (like this), a short story, or a novel-in-progress, I work in multiple layers which can be simplified to three basic stages: 

1. Exploratory - Like the honeymoon phase of a relationship, this is a wonderful time when you can dwell in your current obsession, read and watch things for research, take long walks and daydream all the possible forms this project could take. For me, this is when I use 10- or 15-minute Focused Free-Writes with approachable prompts. For example: Write about some kind of renewal; Write a scene involving a song; or Describe a dish using sensory details. If there’s one sentence I love in one of these exercises, I consider it a win. 

2. Formal - This is when I start to piece together the exercises from the Exploratory stage into something more cohesive, with a semblance of an arc that will make sense to a reader who doesn’t know me. I make it a rule for myself to avoid bullet points and write in complete sentences, even if I hate them. If I feel stuck, I’ll read or re-read other people’s work that I’m looking up to at that moment, and study the piece for its structure. (Reading, with this writerly intention, can absolutely count towards your “writing hours.”) And if you’re a writer who wants to work on creating clearer story arcs, we have just the class for you starting Sept. 8!

3. Final - Getting from the Formal to the Final is perhaps the stage I find the hardest. If I spent a lot of time working on the Formal draft, chances are I have fallen in love with it, which means it will be difficult to let things go or change things that my brain knows are not working. This is why I like to share my Formal drafts with writers in my community who I trust to be thoughtful and honest readers. Workshopping at this stage helps me create something on the page that will resonate with more people, beyond just myself and the people I know. 

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Remember that the act of deleting what you’ve written still counts towards writing. Re-reading what you wrote is a part of it, too.

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Writing is Social

Writing might seem like a purely intellectual activity, but it is also a physical one. Just as it can be difficult to motivate yourself to work out, it can feel impossible sometimes to convince your body that sitting at a desk and writing something creative (that may or may not see the day of light) is worth the trouble. At home, I find myself distracted by the dishes that need to be put away, the meals I could be prepping, the all-too enticing comfort of the couch and blanket. Going to a library, coffee shop, a writing residency, or even a friend’s living room if they’re open to co-working, helps snap my brain into writing mode. 

To that end, The Porch is opening our classroom space in Berry Hill every Tuesday evening (6-8pm) throughout September, so that you can come write in community. There will always be a Porch staff member there to cheer you on, answer any questions, or even provide a quick writing prompt if you need it. 

For those participating in the Write-a-Thon from afar, we also made a digital space via Padlet, allowing everyone to share their goals, prompts, questions, and accomplishments. 

Taking a class counts towards your writing hours, too! If you’re curious about trying out a new genre, we have some wonderful options in September that are still enrolling: 

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• Poetry for Beginners, Online, starting Sept. 3
• Writing Balanced Romantasy Novels, In Person, starting Sept. 8
• Writing the Ten-Minute Play, In Person, starting Sept. 10
• Put the Needle on the Record: Writing about Music, Online, Sept. 15

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If you’re looking for a completely new environment that’s not your home, coffee shop, or even the Porch House, check out these options happening at our local park and equine center! 

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• Write Like a Naturalist at Shelby Bottoms Nature Center, Sept. 5
• Write Beside the Horses at Colby’s Army in Ashland City, Sept. 13

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Just remember: so much of the act of writing is about showing up for yourself. That consistency, more than any perfect sentence or finished draft, is what sustains a writer over the long haul. Let September be your reminder that progress is measured in presence, and that every bit of effort is worth celebrating. 

There’s still time to register for the September Write-a-Thon! Set any personal goal and gift amount that feels right for you. 

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