I’m usually not. Still, on the heels of my recent lamentation, I found it helpful when this article arrived in my inbox.
Communicators: Do you write for fun?
By Jessica Levco
jessical@ragan.com
Making time for your own words—off the clock, in bed, or onboard
You write all day.
You bang out press releases to reporters. You churn out copy for the Intranet. You craft company newsletters. You blog. You tweet. You post on Facebook. You pen award-winning speeches. And maybe you send out a few e-mails, too.
These are just some of your writing responsibilities.
But do you write for fun? Or, when you go home, do you soak your fingers in ice?
We asked MyRaganites this question. And it looks like they had a pretty good time writing their responses.
Create a blog
For some professional writers, a blog is the best outlet for writing. Phoebe Venkat says that she tries to post once a month to her personal blog.
“I’m a huge proponent of personal writing,” Venkat says. “It’s a great way to let off steam and practice writing in a different style.”
Dawn Crawford says she and her husband maintain four separate blogs—professional commentary, travel, goal-setting, and a crafting blog.
“I think it’s very important for every communications professional to continue to experiment and sharpen their skills outside of work,” Crawford says.
Kathryn Schmidt and her husband, Rick, blog together. For them, “weblog” gets changed to “we blog.”
“My husband (a corporate writer, painter, cartoonist and a cook) and I (a corporate writer, photographer and grateful eater) write a blog together featuring all of the above in the scope of our married life, shared across our two homes: one in Half Moon Bay, Calif., and the other, a renovated farmhouse, in Teton Valley, Idaho.”
A fellowship on Twitter
After leaving the news business for a career in communications, Matt M. missed writing and editing. He found a writing community on Twitter.
“I found a fun group on Twitter that posts ‘flash fiction’ (less than 1,000 words) every Friday,” Matt M. says. “Check out #FridayFlash on Twitter for a peek.”
Write in your journal
Cindy Lee says she’s kept a journal since 1972.
“It’s just me and a five-subject notebook,” Cindy says. “I’ve lost count of how many of them I’ve filled. I write about family, events and observations on life. I love the physical act of writing in longhand on a fresh sheet of paper. As much as I love how easy it is to write and edit on a computer, I don’t feel quite the same connection I get when I’m holding a pen in my hand.”
Write to help someone
Have you ever thought about helping someone with your words? Jay Somers does.
Somers says he likes to help businesses write a news release that might generate some local press.
“It might be a small business I patronize, a musical artist I know and have worked with, or a nonprofit of some type,” he says. “These are people or groups who don’t have a marketing budget of any kind and don’t know how to do it on their own.”
Travel writing
Could you be the next Bill Bryson?
MyRaganite Susan and her husband have been sailing for about 34 years. During that time, the boats have been large enough to “cruise” on, which gives the couple ample time to sleep and cook.
“During those decades of sailing, I’ve kept log books of every time we’ve been on the boat, or at least shaken out the sails, even if briefly,” Susan says. “I keep thinking they could make a good book some day when I retire.”
Don’t plug in
Ditch the MacBooks.
“I’ve been inspired by my very cool, lower-tech word-processing device called a Neo2 that I can use while sitting up in bed and doesn’t offer the distractions that a laptop does (namely games and Internet),” MyRaganite Gerry says.
By contrast, Doug says he prefers a pen over a keyboard.
“I love the physical act of forming words on paper,” Doug says. “Of course, it’s not very practical to write even my own stuff that way, but not only do I enjoy forming a story, but the physical act.”
Handwritten notes
Here’s one thing most of us can agree on: There’s nothing better than a handwritten note.
“I am still big on handwritten notes,” says Tina, another MyRaganite. “I write lots of ‘thinking of you’ notes, thank-you’s and ‘miss you’ notes. As I get older, I appreciate the warmth and thoughtfulness of a handwritten note.”
Don’t get me wrong. I’m no schlump around the house. Walk into my house and you’ll typically find it generally tidy, a candle burning here or there and some fresh fruit in the kitchen. Let’s be honest, though, I’m no Martha Stewart. I’m not even Martha’s 
While I appreciate the enthusiasm, it’s overwhelming. No, seriously, don’t get me wrong. I’m loving the excitement of it all. But I have a lot of different questions.
