SIMPLIFY!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

An old illustration of mine, 2003 perhaps?? Strawberry cake, yum!

Life is so crazy busy right now... Hubs is working lots. I'm a stay at home mom, trying to write. I'm also organizing a writing a writing challenge (ReviMo) and I've started Word by Word (thank you Marcie Colleen for help with the name and Blanche Baxter for help planning and running!) book club where we are studying Ann Whitford Paul's book, Writing Picture Books.

Then today I was asked by a wise woman to take a picture book manuscript and CUT THE WORD COUNT IN HALF. I automatically thought, but mine are well under 600, she doesn't mean me. But as I read on, she said, if your story is 200 words cut to 100. Darn.

But as I'm thinking about cutting my word count in half, I'm thinking, why don't I cut my clutter in half? Why don't I get rid of half the kids toys? Or if not half, at least a bunch. We have too many toys, stacks of magazines that I will never re-read or maybe even read, too many dishes, a coffee cup collection that could serve coffee to 50 people (and no 50 people around to serve) and then more junk. I'm going to donate what I can and trash the rest! Who's with me? :)

8 comments :

Robyn Campbell said...

AAACK! Cutting makes me grumpy. Sheesh!

I have so many magazines it ain't funny, Meg! I'm with you! *raises hand*

Anonymous said...

haha! I'm in cutting avoidance mode Robin!!! :D But my avoidance has been productive, I've gotten rid of 3/4 of my magazines! I've been sneakily sorting out some broken and lame kiddo toys for my donation pile. :D How you doing over there??

Joanna said...

I went to a fabulous session with Ame Dykman ten days ago on slashing the word count!

Anonymous said...

I heard about that Joanna! Was it amazing? Ame Dyckman is so funny!

Robyn Campbell said...

Not too. But I'm working on it. :-) Slowly. :-)

Anonymous said...

That's progress! :)

lisa said...

Hi Meg, This was a cute piece. I can so hear your voice in it. I love to cut clutter once or twice a year. Shouldn't I have very little by now? :)

Anonymous said...

haha! I know JUST what you mean Lisa, I've gotten rid of so much in the last year, I should be pretty simplified already, but alas.... :D