Get Lost

Today is Wednesday, which means that tonight at precisely 10:00, my butt will be planted firmly on the couch, elbows on knees, eyes riveted to the TV screen while I watch my favorite show.

The questions, the mystery, the suspense... the writers of Lost know how to tell a story. They give you just enough information to get your hooked, and then slowly begin to reel you in.

I can't understand those people who say the answers don't come quick enough. Don't they realize that every question answered means a nail in the coffin for the show?

See, I'm one of those people who, when reading a good book, can hardly put it down. But once the pages in my right hand start to dwindle in comparison to those in my left, I begin to mentally reprimand myself for being in such a hurry. I don't like to see a good thing end.

It was announced on CNN.com this week that the producers of Lost have signed on for three more seasons. Knowing exactly when the end will be, has given the writers a new sense of direction. From the article, "Lindelof said having the end point in sight was 'incredibly liberating. Like we've been running a marathon and we actually know where the finish line is for the first time.' "

I can hardly anticipate the twists and turns this show will take over the next three years, but I know this: it's sure to be a wild ride! I can't wait to find out what happens next, though I'm determined to be as patient as a puppy, gratefully accepting whatever scraps the writers are willing to toss my way!

After all, all good things must sadly, eventually come to an end.

A Collection of Inspiration

Some people collect seashells. Others Matchbox cars or porcelain dolls. Me? I collect writing prompts.

Ever since that "The Girl and The Box" story back in high school (see archives), I've been addicted. The idea that a single question or suggestion could open the mind up to a world of possibilities is so tantalizing, so wondrous to me.... It's like a fathomless sea of creativity awaits just beyond the bend of the imagination.

I suspect that over the years I've collected thousands of writing prompts. I could probably write a book filled with page after page of them.

Who knows, maybe I'll start sharing them here. Anyone interested in a "Writing Prompt of the Week"? Let me know.

Clickty-Clack

There's a certain romance about a typewriter. A certain satisfaction in each clickty-clack, inking letters, then words, then whole sentences onto a page. A resonance, a permanence, a sense of finality.

These days you must train your ear to hear the whisper of the computer keys. Backspace and Delete keys are too accessible. They cause one to question, to doubt. "Is that really how you want that to read?" "Could the wording be more pleasantly arranged?" Unless you click that print icon, there is nothing to show for an hour's work. A day's. A year's.

I was a teen when typewriters became obsolete, too young to understand the full significance of that change. Computers ushered in a time of super intelligence, of knowledge at the click of the mouse, of drive-thru information. I admit, I am as chained to my computer as the next person, and yet, I cannot help but be wistful for that time, not so long ago, when writing was a process that stimulated all the senses, the smell of the ink, the sound of the keys, the sight of crisp pages piling higher toward completion...

The golden age of the typewriter.