Random Scraps of Paper

Do you ever open your notebook and wonder what the heck you were thinking? Just now, I was trying to find a file on my computer and realized that it was probably not in there yet, since I only just transferred it from my brain to paper. I looked through a small stack of stuff on my desk. In it were different sized papers, a colored drawing from my daughter, several blue post-its, a few receipts and $10 off card to Victoria's Secret. The stack is starting to sound large. I promise it is only medium-ish. Anyway, in the sorting I came to a piece of paper with a list in thick sharpie and this is what it said at the bottom of the list--(the part that was sticking out):

Salmon Rushdie (underlined)
Aaron Smith
Katie

I have no idea why Salmon Rushdie's name is on a list with a friend I haven't spoken to in ages and another friend I talk to every other day. It is definitely not a jihad list.

I don't even dare tell you what I sometimes find in my notebook. Instead, I'll tell you about someone else. The other day a friend brought me her husband's scratch pad the other day and this is a list I found in it:

Pedro?
Pontiacs are blue.
Gold is a precious metal.
Bob is a nice guy.
I don't like swordfish.
Latin America?

Classic stuff. He works in finance. Not even a writer.

Last Day of Class

This week was our sixth and final week of The Writer's Mind workshop. It feels almost too sacred to talk about. But this is what we did after class. We are planning on uploading some of the portraits to JR's global art project.

The next class will begin in April. I pushed it back from the 6th to the 13th. Six Wednesday nights in Culver City. Online class coming in June. If you want to be on the waiting list, please let me know. It is already half full.

Inside Out

A student in The Writer's Mind Class sent this to me. If you haven't heard about Project Inside Out, it's inspiring. We are going to submit an image as a class.

Here's a video. There is a long and short version. I recommend the long one.




The website for the project is here. Short video here too.

Quest Posting

I love it when I am dyslexic or just a bad typer, because my mistakes often are more interesting than my original intent. I just wrote "quest post" instead of guest post. I don't know what it means. But I'm sure it could mean something cool.

So, if you were to define Quest Posting, what would it mean? Post your definitions or thoughts in the comments. And if you have an image that would go with the phrase "quest post," link it here, too.

What's With All the Stiff Author Photos?

Seriously. What's the deal?









I found all of these images over at literaryquotes.com and they seem to have a thing against smiling authors. Guh. I'm so tired of the serious writer and the suffering writer. Writing is joyful and healing on some level or none of us would do it.

Does anyone know any statistics on this?
Do writers sell more books if they smile in their author photo?
It would be a fun study to conduct.