I have found out over the years that something that has helped me out a great deal with getting over some of the fears and notions of not just being a good enough kind of writer has been done by writing letters to pen pals.

I have 4 pen pals that I have been writing to throughout the USA for the past 10-15 years and it gives me a chance to work my paragraphs correctly and put in new words that are bigger and mean the same in most cases. Practice and fun at the same time.

I am working on several short stories that I want to submit to literary magazines to test the waters for my kind of writing -- pretty darn intense at times. Just a thought. Bill

 

I agree with you both.  Instead of pen pals I have online friends, and I consider the emails I write to them to be good writing practice.  Work emails, journaling, and blogging are all good writing practice as well.  Whatever I write that takes some thought and effort, I consider real writing.  As long as we keep writing - including those "minor" writing examples mentioned above - we will activate, improve, and sharpen our writing skills.