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Savannah porch

I want to live here.

Dear Blog,

I didn’t give up on you. I was in Savannah, Georgia the last two Fridays hanging out on this lovely second story private porch.

I’m back in Minnesota now. And thank God! Because palm trees and Spanish moss and blooming bushes are GROSS. So relieved to be surrounded by winter again. I mean, my face was tan from the day we walked on the beach. How annoying! Don’t worry, Face. Soon you’ll be pasty again.

I hope it snows more tomorrow.

Love Anna

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Savannah is romantic. I would like writing to feel romantic. And not like hard work. Is there anyone out there with some sort of device/machine (perhaps an old colander with some wires sticking out of it that I can wear on my head) that will trick me into feeling confident, sure, good, amaz-balls whenever I sit down to write.

I will give you $20 dollars and one shaggy Maine Coon mutt cat for such a device.

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This is how crazy hard I’m trying to win the head game of being a full time writer: I bought a bunch of glass mosaic blocks. For every writing session I have, I earn one block. I’m going to stack the ones I earn to make a tower. That way, I can see, with my eyeballs, that I’m building something.

glass blocks

I’ve only earned three of these so far.

Want to know why? Because the last sixty pages I’ve written for my novel are unusable. Not because they suck, but because THE PLOT KEEPS CHANING. Which, by the by, who’s fault if that?

MINE.

I have never wanted to quit this writing life more than I have in the last few weeks.

In light of that overly dramatic declaration, I have a quote to share with you (and myself) from Anne Rice. A good friend shared it with me, not even knowing it was what I needed to hear.

Anne Rice is an author of some sort. I’ve never read her stuff, so don’t judge me if you A. hate her, B. love her, or C. something, but I think what she says here is worth taking in, no matter who she is:

“I’ve often said there are no rules for writers. Let me share the WORST AND MOST HARMFUL ADVICE I was ever given by others. 1) Write what you know. 2) You’ll have to polish every sentence you write three or four times. 3) Genius is one tenth talent and nine tenths hard work and 4) You’re not a real writer if you don’t write every day. — ALL OF THAT WAS HARMFUL TO ME. ALL OF IT. IT HURT AND IT SET ME BACK. —– So I say again, there are no rules. It’s amazing how willing people are to tell you that you aren’t a real writer unless you conform to their clichés and their rules. My advice? Reject rules and critics out of hand. Define yourself. Do it your way. Make yourself the writer of your dreams. Protect your voice, your vision, your characters, your story, your imagination, your dreams.”

What else is there to say, Girl? Except, get down to it.

P.S. Hopefully, all this writing results in more than a pile of glass on my office floor.