Doing the things that need doing

I just sent a contribution to the Nathan Wolfson Trust. If you knew L.K. Madigan, if you were a fan of her work, that is a thing you could do as well.

I’m glad I had the chance to meet her through her friend and agent Jennifer Laughran, and glad, too, that we spent some time together in the warm community of Portland’s YA authors. If you didn’t know her work, here: read Flash Burnout and The Mermaid’s Mirror.

I keep going back to these lines she wrote. They’re posted at Paper Fort, but I’m selfishly reposting them here so they become part of my own archives.

“There are lots of books out there about writing. How to begin … how to keep going … how to plot … how to create memorable characters … there’s probably a book out there on how to write interesting website copy. I should have looked for it!

It’s good to read those books, but don’t feel guilty if your process is different than what they advise. The main thing is to WRITE. Some days it might be 2000 words. Some days you might tinker with two sentences until you get them just right. Both days belong in the writing life. Some days you may watch a “Doctor Who” marathon or become immersed a book that is so good you can’t stop reading. Some days you may be in love or in mourning. Those days belong in the writing life, too. Live them without guilt.” — L.K. Madigan

Tonight I’m trying to take Lisa’s advice — the no guilt part, but the WRITE part, too. The fact that her words are helping to console me is its own testimony.