Books

For more than ten years, I have written thousands of pages in every conceivable format — screenplays, television pilot scripts, novels, essays, gift books.  It’s been like getting a masters of fine arts without the tuition!

After almost two years of not writing (a major family crisis was not conducive to my creative process), I had forgotten just how hard writing is and how much I had missed it.  I forgot that even crappy, first draft writing takes time, creative energy, and commitment.  Writing also requires a small fortune to spend on 1% lattes at Borders, but I love it and here’s why.

• Writing asks me to go deeper and ask harder questions
• Writing is hard and exhilarating at the same time
• Writing a perfect sentence or paragraph makes me believe I can do anything
• Writing has given me friends
• Writing challenges me to be better and try harder
• Writing is not only what I do, but writer is who I am

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Dirt Farmer Wisdom

“Without enough sleep, we all become tall two year-olds”

This quote from Dirt Farmer Wisdom can be found everywhere!  It started on Reader’s Digest’s Quotable Quotes page, then it hit the Internet and now you can find it in blogs,  on pillows in five star hotels (Thank you Mandarin Oriental Hotel in NYC!)…even John Larroquette tweeted it!
Dirt Farmer Wisdom is the collected wisdom from my family.  We have family short hand, sayings that explain everything in just a few words.

• You Don’t Get What You Don’t Ask For
• Kill the Closest Snake
• If There’s Room in Your Heart, There’s Room in Your Home.
• Don’t Let Your Ego Cut off the Air to Your Brain.
• Feed Yourself

Below is a short, but very quotable chapter from Dirt Farmer Wisdom – Feed Yourself:

…. The most overlooked aspect of caring for your body is rest. This is your regenerative state. Mom always told me to go to bed when I was tired regardless of the time.  Now I am known to turn out the light at 8:00 PM if my fanny is dragging.  I have no shame when it comes to getting sleep, because when I’m tired, I’m terrible to deal with.  Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds. We’re grouchy and impatient; we distort the words and actions of others and suffer diminished physical, emotional and mental responses–leaving us thoroughly impaired.  Most people I know don’t get enough sleep. Do you? …

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