On Weather

As some of you know, I live in very, very, northern Wisconsin. As in, the freeway ends and you still have another hour to drive on dinky, rural highways; northern Wisconsin.

Anyway, I was home from college this past weekend celebrating my mom's birthday when Winter Storm Luna descended. I had been planning to drive back to my dorm on Sunday, so I could have all day to complete the 4 hour drive before class the next day. But ice accumulations of 1+ inches, 5+ inches of snow coating that, and a winter mix of what our TV weather broadcaster called "frist" hindered things. A quick check of road conditions online also revealed that part of the highway was shutdown because of a major accident. This discovered, I figured it was better to stay put than drive back to school. Since I had planned to spend most of Sunday evening hiding in my dorm, I hadn't bothered to bring much homework with me. Time to freak out? Definitely not.

Luna, though she messed up my travel arrangements, gave me an extra day where I had absolutely nothing planned. Which meant, I had time to write. Many college students are quick to tell you that time like this - free time where homework is actually impossible to complete - is rare indeed. For many frazzled parents and business execs, the story isn't all that different. But when weather strikes and puts a damper on things, take the challenge. Write during the time you had planned to be doing something much different. Even if you only get a sentence written during a commercial break, it's more than you had previously. Because writing is the exact opposite of winter driving. When driving during winter, it's everyone else on the road you have to keep an eye on. They are usually going too fast, don't see the black ice, or forget that slush loves to eat tires. In short, you have to anticipate their actions, though you're confident of your own. Whereas, in writing, you are the only one responsible and the only one to blame when the next chapter isn't finished or that poem is still scrawled on the inside of an old pizza box.

So, let weather stop you from barbecuing, meeting, cleaning, or driving, but don't let it stop your writing. Even if that means that the next day you have to wake up before sunrise and drive the 4 hours back to school before class.  

How to Write Your Way to a Writing Degree (and Beyond)

Okay, so this isn't so much a step-by-step "how to" guide on writing your way to a writing degree. In fact, I'm on the journey now, trying to figure it out myself. Knowing that little fact, I currently can't give you any of the magic steps to author-dom. (Bummer, I know.) If anyone out there does know the magic steps, though, feel free to share.

Now for the good news: we can figure out this journey together. We can share first draft jubilee, cures for (or maybe just distractions from) writer's block, revision problems, and the joys or rejections as we search for publication and graduation caps - no matter which order they come in. I'll talk about my college experience as well as my ups and downs as an aspiring writer.

Ugh...I shudder writing that word. Aspiring. The real definition means to try and attain a goal. It means we're trying to get somewhere or do something. However, the connotation in our current society is one that if you're aspiring (trying), you're not achieving.

I may be writing in between classes - hyped and jittery on 4 pots of coffee - getting a rough 5 hours of sleep per night, living on a diet of high sodium, and fueling my unnatural obsession for hats and yellow shoes, but as long as I keep writing, can anyone deny that I'm a writer?

I had a writing professor tell me that all you need to do to be a writer is write. He would say this when he saw how overwhelmed I was becoming under the stress of life. So I say we take his advice and banish the word aspiring. Instead, let's call ourselves by our real titles. Writers.

From obscurity to publication....here we go.