Some suggestions (from successful authors) on writer's block

This week has been incredibly busy since Cam's sister and her boyfriend are in San Francisco for the first time. Another friend of mine from Villanova flew in yesterday, so today I took our three guests to Muir Woods, The Pelican Inn for lunch, and for a quick driving tour of San Francisco. My brain is feeling a little fuzzy and not so ready to write, but I thought I'd share a couple of good links that friends have recently sent me regarding the writing process.

Writers on Writing; Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hoopetedoodle from The New York Times

Nuts and Bolts: "Thought Verbs" An essay by Chuck Palahniuk

Also on this subject, Bird by Bird by San Francisco author Anne Lamott is an amazing book on learning to trust your instincts, being patient with yourself, and not taking yourself too seriously when it comes to writing (there are also some great general pointers and hilarious anecdotes on life). This is the first "writing process" book that made me feel inspired and motivated as opposed to "oh my god I am never going to get this right."

I have to share an excerpt because as I started writing about Bird by Bird, I remembered a scene between Anne and her son that had me cracking up while reading, not only because it was well-written and genuinely funny, but because I feel like this might be insight into my future with kids....

My son, Sam, at three and a half, had these keys to a set of plastic handcuffs, and one morning he intentionally locked himself out of the house. I was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper when I heard him stick his plastic keys into the doorknob and try to open the door. Then I heard him say, "Oh, shit." My whole face widened, like the guy in Edvard Munch's Scream. After a moment I got up and opened the front door. "Honey," I said, "what'd you just say?" "I said, 'Oh, shit,'" he said. "But, honey, that's a naughty word. Both of us have absolutely got to stop using it. Okay?" He hung his head for a moment, nodded, and said, "Okay, Mom." Then he leaned forward and said confidentially, "But I'll tell you why I said shit.'" I said Okay, and he said, "Because of the fucking keys!"

Happy Writing!

(Photo found here.)