Posted on by Christi Craig

Throw it in a pot, mix, and serve.

Yesterday, the word of the day floating around the office was farrago, a hodgepodge of, well, stuff. Sort of like the goulash my mother used to make — a pot full of anything and everything, set on low and cooked to death in a savory sauce.

I like goulash. So while I usually post a little something-something on Sundays, I’ve pulled together a mess of links for you to stew on today instead. This weekend I’ll be too busy to worry about posting. I’ll be buzzing around town with two kids in tow, in search of shorts and flip-flops and plants for the yard. I’ll be re-sizing our sandbox to accommodate more friends from the neighborhood and ensure less bickering over space. Rumor has it, summer’s coming.

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GET YOUR VOTE ON

If you read my essay, “The Dilemma of the Mother Writer,” over at Write It Sideways (a finalist in Suzannah Windsor Freeman’s blogging contest),  and if you enjoyed the essay, click back over to cast your vote. Voting is open until noon (EST) on Sunday, May 15th. While you’re there, you can catch a glimpse of the other seven finalists, too. Talk about a smorgasbord of tips and techniques for writing!….

SPEAKING OF CONTESTS

Don’t forget, you can still win a copy of Ilie Ruby’s The Language of Trees.

Ilie Ruby masters the craft of imagery and prose in her debut novel about healing and forgiveness. Read her interview and leave a comment.

This contest runs until Tuesday, May 17th.

CLICKETY-CLACK, I WANT ONE

With manufacturers putting a full stop on the production of typewriters, I’m kicking myself for not buying the one I saw last year at a garage sale. I don’t remember the brand, but it was classic and blue and heavy, just like a typewriter should be. Kind of like this one, only about $450 less.

This summer, I’ll grab the first decent manual machine I see, even if the ribbon is oozing out of it. And, while we’re on the topic of typewriters, here are some great shots (up on The Guardian) of famous authors tap, tap, tapping away on theirs.

I WISH I COULD DO THAT WITH MY HAIR

One of my new favorite blog features pops up on Wednesdays at Kristen Bair O’Keeffe’s blog, Writerhead. Once a week, she posts an interview with an author, who reveals their state of mind when they are deep into writing.

This week, Wendy McClure shared that her writerhead is like “a hydroponic garden. It needs water, grows under artificial light, and you hope that other people will get high on the end product.”

WHAT A TEASE

The weatherman proposes cooler temps again this weekend.
I think that’s just rude.
I say no to fifties and yes to Nina Simone.

What about you? Any contests running your way, tributes to writer’s tools, or new blog features you think deserve a Facebook kind of Like?


9 Replies to “Throw it in a pot, mix, and serve.”

  2. A tribute to the writer’s tools … yes! The amazing pen (mightier than the sword). I still love my moleskine and my uni-ball 0.5 for silky writing. There’s nothing like it and despite i-everything and workdays spent in front of a laptop, I often make notes for my novels and stories with pen and paper.

    Enjoy the weekend, even with the cool weather.

    1. Cathryn, I’m a sucker for pens. I see you prefer the 0.5. I go straight for the 1.0, medium, leave an imprint kind of pen. Enjoy your weekend, as well, which I’m guessing will be a little warmer than mine (jealous here) 🙂

      1. I have messy handwriting, and you can read it a bit better with the thinner line 😉

        We’re expecting rain here, so not so much to be jealous of … but great writing weather!

  3. So sassy! I have to say, Nina Simone has my vote, I had the kids bopping to her in the car today and in my ears while writing tonight. Happy planting, Christi. I hope the sandbox grows to comfortable proportions.

    1. I can just see you three bee-bopping! 🙂
      I bought strawberry plants today, by the way, and if this rain ever lets up, I intend to plant them. If all goes well, I’ll share the bounty.

  4. It gave me great pleasure to cast my vote for “The Dilemma of the Mother Writer” today! Have a terrific weekend, Christi.

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