And so, I was writing to a deadline last week. And by last week, I mean I started writing at 7pm on Saturday and was still writing at 3.30 am on Sunday morning. I went up for NYC Midnight again this year, and this time I even liked my writing prompt. My writing week stretched before me like sun in The Bahamas. Hint: I’ve never actually been to The Bahamas. But I have written short stories before. Not a lot…
Delete ‘I can’t’ from your vocabulary. ‘I can’t’ gets five pushups. ‘I can’t’ means ‘I won’t’ No, it doesn’t. Sometimes, I can’t means I can’t. Or I’d really like to, or I’m trying. But I can’t. I can’t means don’t ask me, or ask me something else, or mind your own business. Sometimes, I can’t means I’ll do it later, because I’m hurting right now, and I’m trying. Sometimes, I can’t means I’m sorry, but I don’t want to. And…
Last week, Isla and I went to pick out our Christmas tree and sat in the car while my Dad played Clark Griswold and he and Anne fought over knots tying their tree and our tree to the roof. Over this one, over here, clap your hands, make a wish. Apparently, it is a military exercise, and it does have to be that complicated. I insisted on a fat tree, which I got. But it might be too big for…
And so, I got two emails recently. One from a writer friend asking how NaNoWriMo is going, and one from another writer friend about a probably inaccessible writing retreat that promised to unleash my creativity. Well. I got news. My creativity is fine. I don’t need a writing retreat. What I need is a baby-sitter and a drink. And possibly someone to unplug the Netflix. Saying that, check out these 30 ways Netflix can improve your writing. And so, I’m…
What have you done with your extra hour? This has been the house of junk food and movies today. And as I write this Neil and Isla are bonding over Super Mario Bros. The writing prompt this week was a little backwards, but as promised here are the posts on Prep: Deb on how blogging isn’t for the fainthearted (also, read the comments.) Ritu’s wordplay Carol’s Biscuit Crumbs Susanne’s Ready or Not and Rebecca’s review of a writing submission app…
