Today requires a list

Today’s one of those days when my brain is working, yes, but my thoughts are all over the place.I feel mentally and intellectually disorganized. It probably doesn’t help that my house is a mess. It’s not dirty, it’s cluttered. On the table next to me: 5 candles (what? who needs 5 candles in one place?), papers, bills, a hairbrush, 2 baseball caps, a sweatshirt, purse, water, Gatorade, a beach rock, and a jacket. All this on my kitchen table, friends!This drives my husband crazy. He literally panics when there is stuff everywhere. They say a cluttered home, a cluttered mind… so there you go. But! It was on my NOT TO DO LIST, to not clean and I stuck by it! Writing comes first, no? There’s that.

Okay, so today requires a list. It’s the only way I can organize my thoughts. Here’s what I have to report:

1.I bought a Blackberry. No more Nana phone, as my friend Sara called it. I am already thinking this new phone is going to be a time saver and I’m going to TRY not to get addicted to it. And I love the little aqua blue case.

2.I joined Twitter! Yes, another foray into the 21st century. I still don’t really know how it works, but I am trying. If you want to follow me as I figure it out: @MFACONFIDENTIAL

3.My story was workshopped on Monday night. It went well. It was helpful. I realized when people tell me what they think the story is about, it helps me tremendously. It helps me because I am able to tell if my point is coming across, if what I am trying to say is being said.

4.I haven’t written any fiction in a few days. I have so many ideas, but I am finding it hard to BEGIN.I think I needed a break after I finished my last story and now I am trying to decide if I should plunge into something new, or spend some time revising something old.

5.I think I am going to start submitting stories to magazines and journals again.Just to see. I spoke with Robert Lee Brewer at the WD conference and he suggested sending out to 5 journals at a time and then once you hear back, sending the story/stories off to the next 5. I think I’ll do that. I actually like rejection letters (especially when they’re personal). It makes me feel like I exist… that at least I’m trying!

I’m off to head into the city for a coffee (or maybe wine) with a good friend, and then a meeting, and then class. Saul Bellow discussion tonight!

Have a great day!

And here’s a Saul Bellow quote:

“I feel that art has something to do with achievement of stillness in the midst of chaos.A stillness which characterizes prayer, too, and the eye of the storm.”