I must risk writing badly If I am to write at all But what if nothing comes? No ideas big or small No dragons breathing fire Or knights in suits of steel No aliens or monsters No queens or spinning wheels To make a story out of nothing can seem an impossible feat How to … Continue reading Jots and Scribbles
writing
Tea, biscuits and self-sabotage: a writer’s reflections on procrastination
Each day I wake up with one intent: to write as much as I can. In the morning I’ll start off with some journaling and a poem. I can often find time for a blog post here and there, but my sticking point is stories. Short stories come easier than longer ones, but the hardest … Continue reading Tea, biscuits and self-sabotage: a writer’s reflections on procrastination
Write it out
I used to be a great sleeper. If you asked me what my superpower was, it would be sleep. I was a sleep ninja, adept at drifting to the land of nod and staying cocooned there until morning (discounting those years when my children were young and a solid night's sleep was a distant memory: … Continue reading Write it out
Writing Is For Me
I’m going to write a rhyme because I told myself I would Sometimes I let it slide and feel the dragging weight of should But it’s easier than I tell myself if I just step back and allow That anything can be a rhyme even if it’s not profound right now The thing about this … Continue reading Writing Is For Me
The slippery quality of change: can we ever make it stick?
I was talking to a friend over the weekend and we were lamenting how hard it is to stay in the mindset of a shift we’d like to make. We’d read all the books, listened to all the podcasts, made some good progress, but when we stopped paying attention and let go of the external … Continue reading The slippery quality of change: can we ever make it stick?
You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take
This quote is attributed to hockey star Wayne Gretzky. The only ice hockey match I've ever seen was in Mighty Ducks the movie, but the man had a serious point that applies way beyond sport. I've only every had one story published before: a first person narrative which was published anonymously in an online magazine. … Continue reading You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take
Runaway
Ash checked his watch. He estimated he had five minutes until the next curfew patrol. He turned his attention back to the wall. A train rumbled on the bridge overhead, drowning out the sound of the spray cans as he worked. His consciousness sank into the flow of the paint as the cans danced in … Continue reading Runaway
Pay Attention to the Universe: Part Two
In my post Pay Attention to the Universe, I was reminded of the joy that life has to offer, if only I can escape from my own head and into the present moment long enough to see it. Last week I sat in my office (on my bed), trying to tune out the noise of … Continue reading Pay Attention to the Universe: Part Two
I’m paddling but I’m going nowhere
In my blog post, Overthinking is my nemesis, so why do I treat it as my friend? my optimism is palpable. I had identified that my overthinking was keeping me stuck and action was the antithesis to the paralysing fear I'd allowed to rule my brain. Action was the key to getting me out of … Continue reading I’m paddling but I’m going nowhere
Pay attention to the Universe
There’s been a lot of ‘meh’ in my energy the past couple of days. I’m living on a building site with more holes than the titanic (the ship and the movie) and the dust levels have me wondering if I might be better off keeping my mask on to stay at home. I’ve spent the … Continue reading Pay attention to the Universe