Burnout vs. Falling Apart

I am so burned out. I’ve been writing at a breakneck pace for more than a year, and I’ve had the kids home, bouncing off the walls, dealing with loss and fear caused by the pandemic for nine months.

But I keep dragging myself forward on the novel I’m writing.

I keep wondering if I should take a break. Surely, after writing three novels in fourteen months, I’ve earned a break?

And yet, writing is what holds me together. Believing the books I write matter is what pulls me forward. And I need to be held together and pulled forward.

Universal Basic Income is Tenure for Writers

Apparently, today is the day that I can’t take it anymore and start ranting wildly about Universal Basic Income.

Years ago I was asked while on a panel at a convention, how can a writer best go about making money with their book?

My answer remains the same:  put your book aside, go into politics, and fight for Universal Basic Income.

Writing is a terrible, awful, horrible way to make money, and it always will be. Continue reading “Universal Basic Income is Tenure for Writers”

The Value of Longevity as Demonstrated by Grey’s Anatomy and Baby Yoda

I’m so glad to have Grey’s Anatomy & Station 19 back after all these months.  They’re such a bright spot in my week.

The thing about great art is that it helps the chaos of life make sense. And when you find a piece of art that can do that for you… it’s like a friend, a teacher, a warm comforting blanket, and a place where you can go to feel safe all at once.

I know every episode of Grey’s Anatomy hasn’t been brilliant. But many of them have been, and it’s grown over the years

And there simply are stories you can tell after 16 years (+ 6 of Private Practice & 3 of Station 19) that you just can’t tell without that kind of history. Continue reading “The Value of Longevity as Demonstrated by Grey’s Anatomy and Baby Yoda”

Lorelei Gilmore and Not Cooking

One of the best things about Gilmore Girls is that it normalizes the possibility of being a fantastic mother while not cooking AT ALL or even knowing how.

I know how to cook. I can cook. But most of the time, I don’t want to. It’s easier, quicker, and more fun to order out.

So, I think about Lorelei Gilmore a lot. Because she’s the best possible mother for Rory, and they only ever seem to eat at Luke’s diner or get pizza. Continue reading “Lorelei Gilmore and Not Cooking”