Monthly Archives: January 2020

Curation Corner: The Writer’s Map

I ran across a very interesting item by Sarah Laskow on Atlas Obscura about writers’ approaches to world-building.

Favorite quotes from some of the authors discussed…

“I begin every story I write by drawing a map because it is only when my characters start moving from place to place that a plot unfolds.”
–Abi Elphinstone [Dreamsnatcher]

“Writing is a matter of sullen toil. Drawing is pure joy. Drawing a map to go with a story is messing around, with the added fun of coloring in.”
— Phillip Pullman [His Dark Materials]

This is a strategy I will add to my prewriting course…and will experiment with as I draft The Next Page, my current school-based middle grade novel.

Other project work…

Writing prompts for other ‘creative reinventors’.

 

 

Rants and Riffs Installment #15: Leaf blowers and bloviators…

a man in despair with head in hand1. Leaf blowers…the scourge of Western civilization.

2. On a similar note…I hear these bubbleheads/celebrities/semi-celebrities with the cash to buy radio time to spout their views of the world order [or disorder—take your pick]. Lately, I’ve caught myself telling them to just shut up…and it doesn’t even seem to matter whether I agree with them or disagree with them. Huh…go figure. I think I’m just tired of all the noise. [Unless, of course, it’s legit noise from cranky pantses vilifying leaf blowers.]

3. Why don’t presenters armed with PowerPoints and expert knowledge take a couple of minutes to learn how to zoom their projector’s image so the audience can actually see what the laser pointer is aimed at?

Writing Warmups for January 4

writing in a notebook
If you need a little warmup today, toy with a few of these ideas.

  1. “You look like your unders are creeping up on you.”
    “Naaah, he always looks like that when he’s outnumbered by dorks.”

  2. “Harvey! Here’s a show for you!–How Doers Get More Done.”
    “Funny, Margo. Very funny.”

  3. “I made over $10,000 and now I can buy my own car!”

  4. I was now officially out of the loop.

  5. “Get free delivery on your hardware equipment!” the TV blared at us.
    “Oh, great, and once it arrives, we’ll need help simply opening the boxes.”

  6. Just when we thought the world was safe from…

  7. “Even I know that!” I said and strolled away, hoping against hope that I could find out what I was supposed to know…

  8. There was very little reason to enter that room. But against my better judgement…

  9. “Yes, I guess you could say I am your latest ‘convert’.”

  10. I was afraid to close my eyes. We all were, actually.

 

Could 2020 be ‘The Year of the Cheat’?

In my previous post outlining resolutions for 2020, I caught myself proudly ‘cheating’.
Of no surprise, I detoured from finishing the post to tracking down this item from the British Broadcasting Corporation.

A few key points:

  • Cheat days, also called ‘structured flexibility’, can help us stay motivated.
  • By reducing the guilt over breaking the streak, cheating can help us keep focused on the long-term goal.

If this works for you, make 2020, the Year of the Cheat.
Let me know if you have other successful cheats.
Happy New Year
…and if you’re reaching for an extra hit or two of chocolate, we’re not watching [or judging].