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Keeping a Bullet Journal for Writers

Keeping a Bullet Journal for Writers

I loved bullet journaling when I started puttering with it last year, but it took me a while to figure out the custom set-up that works for my freelance, writery needs. The bullet journal community has a huge amount of friendly instagram and tumblr feeds with photos of people’s journal set-ups (much prettier than mine) to help you get started. But the majority of examples I found were generally either students with a schedule full of classes and assignments, or women with a busy family life and multiple commitments.

I’m neither of those. 

So I stumbled my way through a few tweaks to the bullet journal set-up with the writer brain in mind, and some writing-specific pages that help me keep my projects straight. It seemed the time of year for setting up plans, so I decided I'd share how my journal is set up, what works (for me) and what doesn't.

Grief as a Superpower

Grief as a Superpower

It's a weird time, so I'm gonna do a weird thing. I’m going to talk about anxiety.

Yes, this election was tragic. There's a hundred articles today talking about things that people of color and the LGBTQ+ community has known all along and the rest of us are just learning hard lessons about. And many more filled with good, solid, practical advice on how to fight back.  You should go, read all of those. I'll wait. Most acknowledge what many of us are feeling, but the assumption is the feeling is a fleeting part of the process—the weakness before we get to work.

I think I’ve decided the feeling is the work.

Viable Paradise review: Horrors and Feels

Viable Paradise review: Horrors and Feels

Last week I attended Viable Paradise, a workshop for writers of science fiction and fantasy held each year in Martha’s Vineyard. Part of the research before applying to Viable Paradise included the inevitable googling for alumni and reviews. Viable Paradise’s reputation was generally glowing, but one theme that popped up over and over again and dominated reviews was the sense of community and friendship. How welcome students felt, the friends they left with.

After reading the eighth one I think I audibly scoffed. Friendship? Touchy feely shit? That’s all well and good, guys, but tell me what you really got out of it! I am a serious, hungry writer. Tell me about the hard hitting critiques! The inside information! The famous instructors! The Craft! You can make friends anywhere, right? I didn’t get it.

I get it now.