It was a day of misinformation, of bits and pieces that were whispered from hall to hall. I think about my high school years a lot. Not in a sweetly reminiscent, “weren’t those the days” kind of way, but as a benchmark, a comparison for where I am now. And like 99% of Americans, I remember this day more clearly than most of the others.
I had just sat down in my physics class – 3rd period, around 9:30 am. It wasn’t my favorite place to be, but it was ten times better than pre-cal. My friend, and the only other junior in the class, slid into the seat next to me.
“Did you hear?” he asked. “Some bozo just flew his plane into the World Trade Center.” (more…)
It’s the first Thursday of September. So that means it’s time for another round of “What Not to Say!”
Today we’re talking about writers. We’re a funny breed, a quirky bunch of artist-types. We may vary a lot, but there are some things that unite us, specifically things we’d rather not hear you say.
“Have you heard anything yet from that agent/editor/other important person?” We’re glad you care about us and our writing careers. We are. But see, if we’re waiting for big, important, life-changing news, we’re trying our hardest to be patient and not lose our minds. (It’s incredibly hard.) Every time you ask, you remind us we haven’t heard anything yet. Or you force us to tell you that it was a no. Believe me, when we’ve got good news to share, you won’t have to ask. (The only exception to this is if you’re a writer too. But tread carefully.) (more…)
When I was 9, I started lessons on my very first musical instrument – the piano. Thing was, having two competitive siblings play the same instrument wasn’t the best idea, especially when one (my brother) was several years ahead of the other (me).
When I was 10, I started playing the flute. Â I didn’t really choose it. It just happened to be the other instrument my music instructor taught. I guess you could say the flute chose me.