I'm Kinda' In Love

As always, there is lots of chaos in my life.  If things ever actually settled down I might have to rename this blog "Coasting Through Mediocrity" or "Bored and On The Couch" but at the moment there is absolutely no danger of that!  Despite all of the chaos, I am still writing regularly.  Isaac Asimov said, "I write for the same reason that I breathe. If I didn't I would die." It's pretty much true. Honestly, we make time for the stuff that is important to us.  So, yes, I remain crazy busy and sometimes just crazy but I make sure I'm writing all the time.

Recently, I discovered that another famous science fiction writer had written quite a bit of advice about writing.  I've always liked "The Martian Chronicles" and "Fahrenheit 451" but now that I'm reading Ray Bradbury's essays on writing,  and I've discovered that he had a sign over his desk which said "Don't Think!", I'm not going to lie...I'm kinda' in love.

Bradbury writes, "Every morning I jump out of bed and step on a landmine.  The landmine is me.  After the explosion, I spend the rest of the day putting the pieces together."  I love this so much.  Bradbury says school is a lousy place to learn to write.  He recommends the public library instead and calls himself a graduate of the library.  I've had dreams about libraries since I was six or seven.  It's a recurring theme for me, so you can see where I'm feeling a love match with Bradbury here.

He recommends reading essays, poems and short stories every day for 1000 days.  He recommends reading a novel a month.  He strongly encourages prospective writers to watch movies.  Who knew "Netflix and chill" could potentially boost your creativity?!  Writer's block? Bradbury says, "It's obvious you're doing the wrong thing, aren't you?" His advice? Write something else.  You're stuck because it isn't resonating with you.

I've blogged, written content for websites, published three novels and a book of poetry but I've never done much with short stories.  It was a genre I was hoping to explore more even before I discovered Bradbury's writing advice.  Synchronicity anyone?  Bradbury recommends writing a short story a week for 52 weeks.  "If you can write one short story a week," Bradbury says, "it doesn't matter what the quality is to start-at least you're practicing.  At the end of the year you have 52 short stories.  And I defy you to write 52 bad ones. It can't be done."  He advises that "all of the sudden will come one that's just wonderful."

I like his advice and it feels like a challenge which I also like.  I've  written two short stories so far.  I'd love to hear your ideas, dear readers.  What would you like to read?  What would you like to see a short story about?  I have 50 more to go, friends, so I am absolutely open to suggestions.  Despite all the chaos it comes down to this final gem of wisdom from Bradbury: "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you." And "drunk on writing" is absolutely where I intend to stay.