Is it worth it?
Have you ever gotten to the point where you're nearly finished with something, almost done, and you get an idea to change or improve that thing?

But it means more work. Maybe a delay.

That's what happened to me with my nearly finished book, Things I Notice When I Walk The Dog. A short-story memoir of walking my dog Agatha. The collage work is done, the text is complete, and I've got it set-up in page spreads in book form.

And then ...

I wondered if it wouldn't be better if I hand-lettered the text. Mind you it's a picture book so it's not terribly long, not a novel ... but still.

So I tested the idea and did some hand-lettering on the text, and guess what?

I'm smitten.

There's no way I can go back. I have to letter the entire text.

So what's the big deal?

Each sentence takes about half an hour to write. And that's only if I don't make any mistakes, or decide I don't like the look of that letter ... or this one ... or the entire sentence.

Or, if like in the example above, I'm so caught up in  what I'm writing, I drop a letter like I did with the "l" in sidewalk.

And then there's the whole idea of perfection. Because even though I like the feel of the hand-lettering, it's not perfect and that generates a bit of anxiety for me.

Is it good enough?

Yes it is. The whole point of hand-lettering the text is that it's not perfect, that it adds a level of imperfection that's more inviting.

At least that's what I'm hoping people will see and feel.

What do you think?

Today is Extra Mile Day and it occurred to me that's what I'm doing with the book. Even thought it's my choice, it means I've added another level of work to the project. But I'm committed.

I'm going the extra mile.

Sometimes it's a good idea, other times not so much. Is there something you're doing or thinking about that means going the extra mile?

It was the third round of rewriting on a piece about the autumn harvest. It was all about kale, collards, squash, and Brussels sprouts. The problem was, I had it all wrong.

Instead of Brussels sprouts, I was writing brussel sprouts. No capital B at the beginning, no s on the end of Brussels.

I've cooked and eaten lots of Brussels sprouts, but clearly I'd never written about them.

Lesson #1: Proper names have proper spellings
When a red line appeared below the misspelled "brussel," I was surprised. So I checked the dictionary.

I found the correct spelling.

A bit more digging revealed the name comes from the city of Brussels, in Belgium.

Wholly cabbage.

Unless you're certain about the correct spelling of a product, a city, a town, someone's name, title, or product, look it up.

That was last year. This year, I have another editing tip courtesy of the Brussels sprout.

Last week I was watching a cooking show when the chef introduced a new segment by saying, "Today we're making Brussels sprouts."

Lesson #2: Ask yourself, "Is that what's really going on?"
Of course the chef wouldn't be "making" Brussels sprouts, as in constructing or creating them. He would be cooking them. Or, maybe he'd be roasting them.

In the context of the show, it didn't matter much. It was a live taping and viewers could watch and listen.

But his word choice caught my ear. I've been writing a lot and than means I'm rewriting and editing a lot.

I wanted to edit the script, to rewind the tape and have the chef say, "Today we're roasting Brussels sprouts."

Roasting is a more interesting and descriptive word. Making is vague and in this example, inaccurate.

Every word has a purpose.

Lesson #3: Just because you're familiar with something doesn't mean you know all you need to know.
It turns out eating Brussels sprouts didn't make me an expert. From misspellings to context and relevance, it's important to do some research.

That's how I learned those little cabbage were named after an area in Belgium ... because that's where they were cultivated in the 16th(!) century.

So dig around. What you find may not only surprise you, it could add a new dimension to your project.

Feeling the heat?

If you have a story to tell but aren't sure where to start or need help with the writing, drop me a line and get in touch.

I can help you write and/or edit your story ... and put it into book form.

After all, people love stories ... and you've got some good ones.

The Day Things Got Squirrelly
It was this time of year. I'd just returned from a walk and wanted to be outside for a few more minutes to enjoy the late-breaking, almost-setting sun at the end of of a moody, gray day.

Propping my elbow on the banister, I leaned to the right and faced the sun. Standing in a near meditative state, quiet and still, I took a deep breath.

Despite the cooler temperatures, the sun was warming and it was relaxing to breathe in the clearing air.

Until I felt something on my left leg.

It was down by my calf. There was a light touch to the movement, but there was definitely something clawing at my pant leg.

Alarm didn't register immediately because I thought it was the mini poodle across the way coming to visit ... reared up on his hind legs in greeting, clawing and pawing for attention the way he would.

But when the clawing gained traction, raced up my left side and caught my sleeve at the elbow, I knew it was not, could not, be Tippy. (The neighbor's dog wasn't named Tippy, but my grandmother had a miniature poodle named Tippy and even though I never met the dog, I imagined this dog was much like Tippy.)

As panic began to register, I knew. It was not Tippy running up the side of my body.

I let out a squeal, the squirrel squealed, and with a reflective ear-to-shoulder tuck and swift flick of the arm, I tossed it off.

Shivering against the chill of the crawl, my breath caught, and I watched the squirrel race up a tree.

Stopping and turning in defiance to face me, it delivered a triple-tail flick, a double bark, and another for good measure. Its heart pounding as fast as mine.

A full-body shiver took hold of me and in my own act of defiance, I barked back.

------

Now it's your turn.
If you've signed up for the Calendar of Days, each week you get a week's worth of writing prompts.

This week Squirrel Appreciation Month is the prompt that caught my attention.

Maybe you have a pasta story (Monday) that includes a family recipe, or something about that time your pet gecko, snake, or lizard got loose ( Friday).

Some of you, I know, participate in Inktober (Tuesday). What are you drawing? What have you learned from almost a month of drawing?

Share what you write .... because people love stories and you've got some good ones. One story leads to another and once you've got a few, well, you've got a Short Story Memoir!

And if you want, send your story to me. I'd love to read it.

Are you a collector? There are a few things I collect and a couple of things I've learned about collecting from the collections I have.

Nine typewriters.

That's how many I collected before had to stop. When I started my typewriter collection it never occurred to me how much space they occupy.

Let's just say nine is enough ... and it's a rotating collection. Most are stored away and I display one at a time.

What's it worth?
My collection isn't worth a lot ... and that's the second thing I've learned. Most of us collect what we collect because we like whatever it is we collect.

Sure, some collections are an investment, but for most of us, our collections are valuable for different reasons. I've seen collections of torn ticket stubs from live concerts (proof they were there), heart-shaped rocks (memories of beach walks), baseball cards (childhood dreams), and cranberry glass (handed down through the family).

October is National Stamp Collecting Month

At first I wondered, "Do people still collect stamps?" Yes, they do. And it's a popular hobby.

And, no wonder.

Miniature works of art. From landmarks to monuments, animals, politicians, celebrities, sports, culture, and history, each stamp tells a story.

What do you collect?
And what's the story behind it? Share the story and your collection becomes more valuable because it provides provenance ... the history behind the collection. Who owned it before you? Where it was made? Receipt of ownership (yours and previous owners) and any other documentation you might have adds value.