Congratulations! If you are here, you’ve completed 40 days of 3 Questions. I hope the questions made you think about writing, your career, your goals, and yourself as a writer.
If you posted your responses daily or haphazardly, I thank you! When I started the project, I knew I would be away several times during the 40 days and would be unable to respond to individual comments. I did read every response, and many of them made me think about my own place in the tribe. It was gratifying to see the shares, and enlightening to read your answers.
If you answered the questions privately, so did I. Never ask a question you’re not afraid to answer, right?
The final set of questions is for you, but also for me. I may do this project again, or one similar to it, next year. Let me know what worked, or what I missed.
Day 40 Questions:
- Why did you answer 3 questions for 40 days?
- Were you looking for anything in particular about writing or yourself as a writer?
- Did you find it?
Thank you for participating in this project. My final message–not questions–is a request, or a command. You can take it either way. Write–your way, for your reasons. No one else can tell your stories, and no one else will do it for you. You can. I hope you will.
Namaste.
Ramona DeFelice Long 
It has been a thought-provoking forty days, Ramona. Thank you for coming up with so many challenging questions. I didn’t answer on a few days because they were TOO thought-intensive but I considered them. Mostly I answered because I wanted to support your project and to make sure I stay alert about my process and my chosen last, best career.
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Can I just steal Edith’s reply?
At first, I responded to support you, Ramona. But then I started looking forward to the questions because they did make me think and look harder inside my heart and my head. As Edith mentioned, the mornings I didn’t post a response it was because I need to give it more thought. As for looking for something in particular, no, I don’t think I was, but I do think I found more than a few insights without looking. Thank you for that I hope you do this again. Maybe as a weekly or monthly feature? Hint hint.
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Good heavens, forgive the typos, dear Editor. I should not post before a full cup of coffee.
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I enjoyed answering the questions everyday and seeing what the next set of questions would be. Something that I should have realized, but didn’t, is every story I write is about family. No matter if it’s a blog post, a short story, a novel, even a mystery, the core is about the relationship between family members. Also during these forty days I was able to get on a writing schedule. It isn’t a definite time schedule, it’s a schedule where I have treated my writing as a job and not something I do between taking care of everyone else. So, I guess it isn’t so much a schedule as it is boundaries. I now have writing boundaries. Here is a quote I’ve been reading that has been helpful. “Do you have the courage? Do you have the courage to bring forth this work? The treasures that are hidden inside you are hoping you will say yes.” Jack Gilbert
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Imagine Leroy Jethro Gibbs swatting me on the back of my head every day for 39 days. ‘Nough said. Thank you, Ramona, for the thought-provoking and sometimes unsettling questions.
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Many thanks for your time. Talent and generosity. Very helpful. maria keane
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Why did you answer 3 questions for 40 days? Well, as others have said, I started to support you. I quickly found the questions were a great way to “warm up” before my daily writing routine. I don’t know if I missed a day answering or not, but I always read and thought. I think this would be a great exercise to do again. Thank you!
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I enjoyed the exercise and thank you, Ramona, for posting every day, not missing once, even when you were busy. None of the questions were too hard or were things I hadn’t worked through before, but it was good to have these reminders. You are keeping us on our toes!
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1.) Why did you answer 3 questions for 40 days? In the beginning, it was to support you, dear Ramona. However, as the days turned in to weeks, I realized it was a great way to warm up before the treasured sprint.
2.) Were you looking for anything in particular about writing or yourself as a writer? As so often happens, when I’m not looking for anything, something finds me.
3.) Did you find it? I found joy in the directness of simple questions answered before not very much coffee — quite revealing and appreciated. THANKS!!!
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Like the others above, I signed on to support you, but soon learned I really needed this. I’ve been in a huge, long slump with my writing and these questions certainly helped me. I’ve been thinking more about my lack of writing, where I want to go with writing, and how I need to get back to writing more. I’d love to get back to a daily schedule but I’m not sure if that is possible, but I want to try to write at least a couple of days a week.
There are some questions I skipped over at the time, many I didn’t post my answers. The answers I did post were to FB. I have kept all the questions on a sticky note so I can start over flesh-out my answers. Thanks for doing this at a time I really needed it.
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Thank you, Ramona, for deep and thought-provoking questions, whether about the WIP or the process. Working with you always makes me a better writer!
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1. Why did you answer 3 questions for 40 days?
I started out, as some others have also noted, because you were behind the project. I figured your experience as both a writer and an editor would make the experience worthwhile. Besides I was curious to see what you would come up with for 40 days. That’s 120 questions!
You didn’t disappoint. Questions were interesting and varied. Even if even I didn’t answer each one, I thought about all of them.
2. Were you looking for anything in particular about writing or yourself as a writer? I may have hoped to find some secret formula for getting myself in gear to actually submit for publication. .
3. Did you find it? Maybe. I did find ideas and inspiration from the others’ comments. It was good to know that other writers have trouble finding time to write and an inspiration to learn about those who have published a lot. But I also realized in the final analysis that being a writer is a self-starting process.
Thanks for posting the questions, Ramona. It’s been rewarding if only for 40 days to be part of the Ramona Community!
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I’ve kept all my answers in an electronic journal for forty days and appreciated the reminder to reflect on my writing before each day’s writing session. Thanks for the thought-provoking prompts.
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1. Why did you answer 3 questions for 40 days?
Because you told me to. But really, good question! It seemed like a good idea. I think I wanted to see what you’d come up with, and you were consistently engaging, asking me things I had to think about. I missed a couple of days, but I thought about those, too.
2. Were you looking for anything in particular about writing or yourself as a writer?
No, not in the sense that I’m trying to increase my writing chops when I take courses. I couldn’t have told you beforehand, but I ended up loving to read everyone’s responses. Some were surprising.
3. Did you find it?
See above. But I’ll miss this for a daily ritual! After I post this, I’ll look at the other answers. It was a popular exercise.
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I read the 40 days of questions out of curiosity and in hopes of finding insights into the process and myself as a writer. I answered many questions in a notebook and kept those I didn’t answer until I could think about them. I looked forward each day to what the questions would be; some meant more to me than others did. I also enjoyed reading the comments of other writers and shared many of their thoughts. It felt comfy after awhile, being part of a community.
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Day 40 Questions:
Why did you answer 3 questions for 40 days? Earlier this year I finished an online class with you during which I learned quite a bit. I was curious about the questions and thought if they were interesting I’d see where they led me. I liked the thinking they required and decided if I was going to answer them was going to put my answers out there.
Were you looking for anything in particular about writing or yourself as a writer? No, just following along to see what magic might appear.
Did you find it? I found I like thinking about writing and me. So, I wasn’t looking for anything in particular but I found something that gave me some insight. I also liked reading the other answers to see what others thought. There is community in writing.
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I really enjoyed this. you made me think about my writing in ways I hadn’t before. Thank You!
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