Thanks, and Giving

“When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.” - Tecumseh


Here's the Thanks. Without getting maudlin, let's just say that the above quote has particular meaning for me this year, and I give thanks today, and every day, to my wonderful wife Penny for keeping me in the light.


And now, the Giving. I give you my writing tip of the day (which came to me, once again, from Hillary Rettig's time management and productivity seminar): timed free writes. Start with ten minutes a day, where you must keep typing or scribbling until the bell rings. Need a bell? I use the online countdown clock at http://www.online-stopwatch.com/. I'm averaging 350 words a day of... well, mostly dross, and that is not only okay, that is to be expected. We're not panning for gold here (although a few shiny flakes can already be seen in the whirls and eddies of words), we're building mind/body habits.


And while I'm giving out gifts that others have given me (I hear regifting is big in the last couple of months of the year), here's a writer's lament in the form of a limerick from Cathy Elcik:

Metered Angst

by Catherine Elcik

When tracking my writing it's hard to ignore

when my hours shrink back to less than half four.

I say that I'm fighting

To prioritize writing

But then dole out my time like I can simply make more.

You are not alone, Cathy. You are not alone.


Thanks for Reading,


Stephen.