Barbara McDowell

The good news is that I’ve been writing a lot over the past month.  The bad news is that it hasn’t been within my blog.  I giggle when seeing the last posting is “Rants from an Idol Addict: Please Wake Me When It’s Over.”  Indeed.  Well, thank goodness Idol Season 10 is now over.  This year was the first I haven’t watched the night the final two sang since the mess that was Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee.

A quick update on what I’ve been doing:

• Writing recap articles for NBC’s newest vocal reality show, “The Voice,” for Reality News Online.  You can find my latest posting here.  Being a semi-reformed reality TV junkie, I’ve been a huge fan of this site.  If you happen to miss an episode, you can get your fix on several shows all in one place. 
• Revising two short stories that I hope will have a life outside of my walls.
• Realizing the reason a flash fiction piece doesn’t work – the opening paragraph.  This took years.  We, as writers, will commit all levels of time to the darlings that we love.
• Attending the Kenyon Writers Workshop.  This workshop differs from others I’ve participated in because the focus is on the fresh, new words that are created (every night for homework) rather than on workshoping more revised pieces that are submitted in advance.  It is both brilliantly inspiring and brutally exhausting.  But – writers write. 

Flickr image by Curtfleenor