Writerly Wednesday

True to my word, I’ve been cutting back on internet lately. This means that I don’t leave Gmail open all day, just waiting for new messages, and that I’m not surfing Wikipedia or clicking every link in my friends’ Twitter streams looking for distractions. No Roomba-riding kitties on YouTube, no Bones reruns on Hulu.

I am, however, still making time for things that are worth reading. For example…

Friend and writer John sent me this mind-blowing (and very short) story, “The Egg” by Andy Weir:

“Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful, and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are. It’s like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it’s hot or cold. You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel, and when you bring it back out, you’ve gained all the experiences it had.”

Friend and writer Rachele linked to YA author John Green’s Printz Award acceptance speech, and it’s full of all the hilarity and truth and emotion that makes his writing so well-loved:

Five months and seventeen days after sending the manuscript, Dutton called and offered to publish Looking for Alaska. And literally, my first thought was, “Oh. My. God. I’m going to be a 0 dash 525 dash!”

Friend and writer (are you sensing a theme here?) Sonja sent me a link to “Lori’s Quest,” in which author Lori Lake recounts her difficult journey to being published:

Over three decades have passed since I wrote my first story about the scuba diver, but when it comes to writing, I have finally returned to a state of childlike wonder and excitement. I no longer worry much about what others might think or what they might approve of, and I try not to think about what inner demons or faults I might be revealing. Instead, I focus on what plots make my heart sing, what narrative flow jazzes me up, and what characters wake me in the middle of the night, calling out that they need me to bring them to life.

I am an author.
I am a writer, a scribbler, and a thinker.
I create.
I am alive.


10 responses to “Writerly Wednesday”

  1. Les Avatar

    I’m still all about the internet… but I also sit at a desk all day so… hmmm haha.

  2. Shari Avatar

    I LOVE that last one from Lori!

  3. Rachele Alpine Avatar

    Oh, I’ve had such a bad Internet surfing/nonwriting day today! Grrr! I’m glad you’re holding up better than I am! :)

  4. Sonja Avatar

    Glad you enjoyed “Lori’s Quest.” I had a feeling it was right up your alley. :)

  5. Emily Jane Avatar

    I think I need to befriend more writers :)

  6. Kimberly Franklin Avatar

    The internet is evil, I swear. :)

    I loved them all, but #2 was my favorite one!!

  7. Sherrie Petersen Avatar

    Great links!

    My latest distraction is Words with Friends. Terribly addictive :)

  8. Kristan Avatar

    Les-
    Haha, I do too, which is why it’s so tempting and convenient. But I’m allowed to work on my writing during the day; my guess is you’re supposed to be doing something else, so even if you cut back on internet, you would have another obligation to fulfill in that time.

    Emily Jane-
    We’re nice people. :)

    Kimberly-
    Maybe someday we’ll get to write one of those speeches, eh? ;)

    Sherrie-
    Thanks for the tip on what to avoid! Hehehe.

  9. Jon Avatar

    Love the quote from Lori. It’s that childlike attitude toward writing that keeps us going. The other stuff should just be trimmings on the cake, you know? It’s an adventure–not a job!

  10. Kristan Avatar

    “It’s an adventure–not a job!”

    Exactly. :) Although someday I hope it’s both, lol.