June 27, 2023—
Chicory on AstroTurf at the East High School track. Not pictured, a little skunk, trundling around the bottom of the fence, flashing her tail at a mockingbird before fading into brush.
Writing However it Works for You
As someone who gets caught up in process and productivity, I appreciated this from Jaya Saxena, guest posting in Jami Attenberg’s “1000 Words of Summer” newsletter edition, Day 12:
“But there are many writing axioms that I’ve found just don’t work for me. I don’t think it’s necessary to write every day, or write by hand, or pull all nighters. The kind of writing I do doesn’t have much use for abstract writing prompts, and I don’t think adverbs are the devil. But that’s me. You probably know what works for you, the quirks of your brain and the facts of your material conditions. The only good advice is to give yourself permission to do what you know works. You’re not Tom Waits. You’re not Elizabeth Gilbert. You’re you, and that’s what will make your art.”
Jami Attenberg: “Give yourself permission today. You know what works.”