Cacoethes Scribendi BY OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES, SR. If all the trees in all the woods were men; And each and every blade of grass a pen; If every leaf on every shrub and tree Turned to a sheet of foolscap; every sea Were changed to ink, and all earth's living tribes Had nothing else to do … Continue reading the human race should write, and write, and write
The Process
at the end – NaNoWriMo
So I didn't win, by which I mean, I didn't finish 50,000 words by the end of November. In fact, I became paralyzed halfway through when I hit a rough spot at work and let it get to me. I think I'd do better with some group support, and maybe next year I'll find some … Continue reading at the end – NaNoWriMo
week 2 – NaNoWriMo
This may be the week that keeps me from winning NaNoWriMo. And it's kind of killing me. I felt great about catching up on Tuesday. When I went to bed I was a hair below 20,000 words. I knew that Wednesday would be tough because it was going to be a 12-14 hour day at … Continue reading week 2 – NaNoWriMo
week 1.5 – NaNoWriMo
I ended the week, as did many other WriMos with a writing marathon. And like most marathons, turns out training matters. Training in this case being less about miles run and more about words written. There were two days this week that I didn't write. That, plus a misreading of a word count calendar I … Continue reading week 1.5 – NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo 2013
Continuing my streak of 2013 being The Year of Doing Things I Always Said I'd Do (to date: half marathon, master's degree, dream job, dream town), I am totally on fire to complete a novel in November. I've been growing an idea for awhile, and starting doing some research at the start of the … Continue reading NaNoWriMo 2013
Being an Introvert and a Writer…
Part of being a writer is the rewrite. I do most of my emotional processing via writing, then reading, then thinking, then writing again. Sometimes talking gets involved in there somewhere too, or email correspondence. Whatever. Words, I process with words and I do realize (though it may not seem that way) that other people … Continue reading Being an Introvert and a Writer…
why reading deprivation
from The Artist's Way: If you feel stuck in your life or in your art, few jump starts are more effective than a week of reading deprivation. No reading? That's right: no reading. For most artists, words are like tiny tranquilizers. We have a daily quota of media chat that we swallow up. Like greasy … Continue reading why reading deprivation
reading deprivation
I'm not allowed to read this week. I'm not supposed to read any books, newspapers, extraneous websites and emails -- anything. It's like someone told me to stop breathing. It's part of The Artist's Way and is supposed to, I guess, keep me from anesthetizing myself with other people's words. I can just hear some … Continue reading reading deprivation
Writing to Write
I am suffering from "what do I write about" anxiety. I joined a group that offers a weekly topic. This week's topic is, in essence, "if your friends were going to tell your secrets, which ones would they tell?" Jeez, I don't know. And if I want them to remain secrets, I'm not going to … Continue reading Writing to Write
The Reward for Attention
In "The Artist's Way," Julia Cameron says, "The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight. The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention." She goes on to note, "The reward for attention is always healing." This is Nina's gift -- she gives me so much to pay attention … Continue reading The Reward for Attention
