Courtney brought up a good point in her response to my Project Runway post. [And, no, Jenny, I wasn't talking about you.] She talked about how some of the contestants freak out when asked to step out of their comfort zone. Same thing happens on Top Chef. Courtney's argument was that chefs, designers and writers need to be able to step outside their boxes once in a while.

Folks, that's why you see prompts and challenges on this and other blogs from the Pirates. That's why UGWP does round stories. That's why we have played a card game where you pick the cards that you will build the story on. Not because we think that one day Jenny will figure out how to market a Top Chef kind of show involving wrters (although that would be groovy), but because we all get those stray ideas that don't fit into our usual genres. Or maybe we realize that one of our story ideas would work better as a screen or stage play than a novel. Or we really, really want to enter that short story contest with the big prize payout. If those muscles are already warmed up, it's easier to engage them when the time comes.

There's another aspect to what Courtney said. That the contestants are freaked out by the twists the shows throw at them. On more than one occasion, I've said, "Don't they watch this show?" Because they always have twists, often the same ones from season to season.

Which comes back to research. I know I've talked about it before, but it bears repeating. DO the research. Want to submit to the Super Groovy Magazine Contest? First, read the guidelines. Second, look at a recent issue. If they only publish hyper-literary stories between 3,000-5,000 words, don't submit a 7,000 word fantasy piece. Same goes with agents.

Two reality shows about seemingly unrelated jobs that are both, apparently, unrelated to writing. But I've been able to adapt lessons from both into my writing. Are there other shows that have given you insight into your craft? Movies? Music? Something else?

Synchronicity Again

I've been having a rough couple of weeks. Nothing major. No health issues or big money woes. Just a sort of malaise. An "I suck at everything" feeling. I get this once in a while. Lots of negative self-talk and such.

Mentioned my mood to Jenny and Ali before the CWC meeting last week, and Jenny said she'd been in a bad mood. Sort of an "I suck at everything" mood. Now we both know we don't suck at everything, but when one of these moods sets in, it's not about what we know but what we feel.

The next day I took a few of my trusty index cards and put together a set of affirmations. Positive responses to the negative things I'd been telling myself about myself. Started reading them a couple times a day. Unfortunately, my first few times through that nasty little voice answered each one with the nasty stuff I'd been telling myself. But repetition helps silence that. After a while it does help. So does letting myself relax. Doing other things I enjoy.

So, imagine my surprise when I check out Pat's blog and see a whole post on the dangers of negative self talk and some suggestions on what to do about it. Sometimes these things are just out there in the air.

And, if you're convinced that you too suck because something didn't turn out quite the way you planned or wasn't done when you thought it should have been (my personal suckage trigger), go over to Courtney's blog and listen to J.K. Rowling extol the virtues of failure.

By the way, YOU certainly don't suck, especially not at everything. And I'm realizing that I don't either.

A Very Good Week

I probably should have posted this yesterday, but you know how I am when I get spun up about something.

My week off was wonderful. Even though I had a cold through most of it. I think that may have helped in strange way. I already posted about the wonderful hikes at the start of my mini-vacation. Those were followed by a visit to the Sunday group of CSFWG and, of course, dinner after. I considered rejoining the group, but realized it's me trying to fill up time again. So, sorry guys, you'll just have to put up with your perpetual visitor.

The non-writing group was fun on New Year's night, but they kinda bummed me out. Here I was, not having to get up early the next morning and the evening ended at 9:30. Two of the guys had to leave at 4 the next morning to go hunting in Texas. One of the hunters was the host. Dude! Ask be about the bourbon tasting, though. Yeesh.

The rest of the week I played sloth. One day my big project was baking a pie. Another it was reading the latest Poets & Writers Magazine. I have to say that by yesterday I was feeling pretty refreshed. The supposed point of vacation, but not the usual result.

It wasn't as glamorous or sunny or warm or sandy or turtley as Ali's groovy Mexican adventure, but it was just what I needed. And, yes, I feel like writing again.

By the way, groovy may be my new word. Fair warning. And the grooviest part of the week was getting an email from someone who actually kick-started this whole crazy writing thing. On New Year's Eve 1999, waiting for 2000 to happen and crash all the computers in world (Honestly, I was. I worked for MCI at the time and was on duty over night.), I was IMing with some of my Mystery Science Theater 3000 buddies. Courtney and I talked about her film classes. I said how much I admired her for going for her dreams. She asked me what mine were. I said, no surprise, that I would love to write. Her response was something along the lines of "So why don't you?" One of those ah ha moments.

So, here for at least my little corner of the world to see: Thank you, Courtney, for that kick in the hinder.