Thursdays are hard, and I think I'm getting a cold. I managed to get an outline of my story's plot and scenes down on paper--a small victory for me, as this is a real weakness. I also got some lines I like to travel out of my brain and through my fingers into the google doc. My Gotham deadline is 1/31--during AWP.
A long time ago, Mitch gave me the DaVinci quote: art isn't finished, it's abandoned, and this, my first Gotham story, one I began in my grad school foray back in 1997, will be put in the mail after I get booth comments. I'm pretty sick of it.
I posted a link to this new blog at the Yahoo Group: http://writetodone.com/
It's the Zen habits take on writing. I have a writing tip. Stop reading writing tips and get to work. I'm talking to myself, so don't be mad.
I'm down to one Scrabble game. The site on facebook went down for a couple hours this afternoon and the world nearly screeched to a halt. Even though I need to cut back on playing, I would hate to lose my 113-game history and rating of nearly 1700. And no, I do not cheat.
All right, I have to go put some zinc up my nose...about as much fun as it sounds!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
I didn't write tonight; I'm pleading exhaustion, poor baby me (and I'm the only person who calls me baby, sniff sniff)....There will be missed days, can I make it not be two in a row?
But I did find just the scene idea I needed at The Daily Bedpost -- Mary Ann needs to drunk dial her non-boyfriend! Now you don't have to read the exercise in narcissism I'm calling a short story.
Finally, I've typed this post without my glasses so it's probably full of typos.
More tomorrow!
But I did find just the scene idea I needed at The Daily Bedpost -- Mary Ann needs to drunk dial her non-boyfriend! Now you don't have to read the exercise in narcissism I'm calling a short story.
Finally, I've typed this post without my glasses so it's probably full of typos.
More tomorrow!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
A Poem and a Promise
I'm going to toss up the occasional poem, because I appreciate poetry much more now than I did when it was my job to understand it. This one stuns me every time I read it, with its beautiful, masterful language. I'm not going to analyze it because I need to spend my time on other kinds of writing, but SparkNotes has, if you're interested.
"The Windhover"
--Gerard Manley Hopkins
To Christ our Lord
I caught this morning morning's minion, king-
dom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird,--the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!
Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here
Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!
No wonder of it: sheer plod makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermillion.
___
In daily habit news, I signed up at the habitizer, setting writing every day as one of my goals. Today, I wrote for half an hour, which felt productive, because I got home late and had some packing to do. Ordinarily, I would have made an excuse. It does feel like the story is moving forward.
__
And Heath Ledger, what a tragedy. Live, gifted young artists, I say, Live. Even though the world offers you everything and still can't make you happy.
"The Windhover"
--Gerard Manley Hopkins
To Christ our Lord
I caught this morning morning's minion, king-
dom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird,--the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!
Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here
Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!
No wonder of it: sheer plod makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermillion.
___
In daily habit news, I signed up at the habitizer, setting writing every day as one of my goals. Today, I wrote for half an hour, which felt productive, because I got home late and had some packing to do. Ordinarily, I would have made an excuse. It does feel like the story is moving forward.
__
And Heath Ledger, what a tragedy. Live, gifted young artists, I say, Live. Even though the world offers you everything and still can't make you happy.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Happy 2008
Since this is the first blog post of the new year for me (I'm always late, but at work, the students come back at the end of January, so that's when my resolutions always kick in), I want to thank the wonderful friends I've made this year. You've kept me company in boredom and despair and utter silliness. It's great to feel that I'm not in this alone, and that other people struggle with the same demons I'm fighting. Thanks for reading, for being around, for being great. I'm rooting for all of us.
In other news, I've finally lost that ten pounds Jed and I set out to lose in July, a fact that reminds me that slow progress is still progress. I wish it were more, but I'll take it. Also, I think that makes me the winner, unless Jed already lost ten pounds (I keep typing L's for pounds). So I get the big giant prize, right?
I wrote today, too. I set a timer and worked for a solid hour on my very first Gotham story, from last January. I'm surprised that the writing itself is weaker than I thought (yes, I am very arrogant; I think I write well and need to find something to say). The useful insight is that distance is very helpful. This story will go out sometime soon. I'm hoping to put a newer one in my Gotham booth, but I may not have time, with having to move and go to AWP in the beginning of February.
Oustanding post at Zen Habits on actually getting some writing done. We all know these things, but the post is still very helpful. (ps: if you comment, do you like links in new windows?)
As an accountability thing, I'm going to post a note on how much I wrote each day. Don't worry, I'm not going to keep talking about weight loss, but I would like to plug my new electronic scale. Not only does it give your weight to the tenth of a pound, it also provides body fat, bone mass, an IM talk client and photos from space. My bone mass is 5.7. I have no idea what that means.
Also, I've been working on a more serious post about women and rape and one of my favorite novels, Margaret Atwood's the Handmaid's Tale. I want to write some blog posts of essay quality, and I hope you guys will give me feedback.
In other news, I've finally lost that ten pounds Jed and I set out to lose in July, a fact that reminds me that slow progress is still progress. I wish it were more, but I'll take it. Also, I think that makes me the winner, unless Jed already lost ten pounds (I keep typing L's for pounds). So I get the big giant prize, right?
I wrote today, too. I set a timer and worked for a solid hour on my very first Gotham story, from last January. I'm surprised that the writing itself is weaker than I thought (yes, I am very arrogant; I think I write well and need to find something to say). The useful insight is that distance is very helpful. This story will go out sometime soon. I'm hoping to put a newer one in my Gotham booth, but I may not have time, with having to move and go to AWP in the beginning of February.
Oustanding post at Zen Habits on actually getting some writing done. We all know these things, but the post is still very helpful. (ps: if you comment, do you like links in new windows?)
As an accountability thing, I'm going to post a note on how much I wrote each day. Don't worry, I'm not going to keep talking about weight loss, but I would like to plug my new electronic scale. Not only does it give your weight to the tenth of a pound, it also provides body fat, bone mass, an IM talk client and photos from space. My bone mass is 5.7. I have no idea what that means.
Also, I've been working on a more serious post about women and rape and one of my favorite novels, Margaret Atwood's the Handmaid's Tale. I want to write some blog posts of essay quality, and I hope you guys will give me feedback.
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