Many years ago I cut a Calvin & Hobbes cartoon strip out of the newspaper because it wholly represented my approach to writing. The strip is yellowed and a little tattered in the corners where it\u2019s been pinned numerous times to many a cork board over the past 25 years or so. Hobbes asks Calvin if he\u2019s come up with an idea for his story, and Calvin replies that he\u2019s waiting for inspiration. \u201cYou can\u2019t just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood,\u201d Calvin lectures his tiger pal. \u201cWhat mood is that?\u201d Hobbes asks. Calvin replies, \u201cLast-minute panic.\u201d Guilty. Since July I\u2019ve known that I have to write a story for storytelling show I\u2019m in on Oct 23. I kept telling myself I had plenty of time for inspiration to strike. Two weeks out and I still have bubkis. Sure, a couple of ideas, but otherwise uninspired. One doesn\u2019t really fit the show\u2019s theme (even though that doesn\u2019t matter), and the other is meh (at least in my head). I\u2019ve heard fabulous stories the essence of which weren\u2019t all that dramatic in themselves, but the telling of the story was incredible, which made the story good. I keep telling myself the story particulars don\u2019t have to be earth-shattering, just the way I tell it. So far my ego isn\u2019t convinced. I also know that once I start writing, the story itself begins to flow. My BFF, Procrastination, and I are working that one out as we speak. But it might take some time. Accepting ideas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"