I was looking for relevant images (i.e., something related to colds) and this completely cracks me up: check out http://www.thesneeze.com/ for more excellent funny.
Having a cold means not getting up early to do your morning writing, darn it. This is going to be a short post today. Right now I’m having what I think of as a mom-drink: hot water with lots of lemon and a tiny bit of honey.
And, too, I’m moving v e r y s l o w l y. It’s almost as though the brain slows down when we’re sick. I get it about the blood and other fluids being hard at work fighting infection, and so they’re not as available to help our brains do the interesting work of figuring out morning blog posts. (Please, no shaming comments about how I clearly have no idea about how the body works. I’m sure this is true. Perhaps you could just chuckle along with/at me from your side of the computer, and the next time we see each other in real life, you could palm me a card with a url on it that will take me to some useful information about what happens to the brain when our bodies are fighting illness. You’re great.)
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Here’s an exciting bit of news (no, for real!): This Thursday, 9/16, at 4pm MST/3pm PST, I get to hang out with Jianda Monique and talk about writing workshops, sexual healing and other good stuff on her Lesbian Relationships podcast. The show is broadcast live — plug in your headphones, connect up to itunes and listen in! (Not in Colorado or San Francisco and not sure what time the show will air where you are? Head to timeanddate.com to convert for your timezone.)
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Because my brain is moving a little slow (perhaps, even, slower than my nose, just to overshare), I’m going to leave you with some prompts:
– Write about how the seasons smell: what scents distinctly evoke fall, winter, summer, spring (and mud season, if you’re in New England)? When you smell that particular thing, what memories come up for you? (This gets us thinking about sensory detail — if you’re working with a character and learning more about him/hir/her, you could spend some time with how the seasons smell for them: what does fall smell like to her, and why?)
– Write someone picking out a first day of school outfit — what goes in to making those decisions? What else is going on for your character (or you) as they’re trying to get ready for school? Just be in that one moment…
– Pat Schneider offers this exercise: Close your eyes, if you want, and take a moment to get comfortable in your body. Focus on your breath, feel how your muscles and bones are supported in your seat, and supporting you. Allow yourself to think of a photograph — maybe one from your home now, maybe one you remember from growing up, maybe one you’ve seen in a maagzine or book. Who’s in this image? When and where was it taken? When you’re ready, open your eyes (if you’ve closed them) and begin writing, starting with the phrase: “In this one you are…”
Can you give yourself 10 or so minutes just to spend with your writing voice today? I will take that time myself, too…
Thanks for the good work you’re doing to be true to yourself today, and to take care of that body that carries you through your days. And, as always, thanks, too, for reading — and for writing!
