When
you work at home a lot, you develop small strategies
for mental breaks, often something that doesn't involve writing,
typing, or even much thinking. Grabbing the (postal) mail. Tossing in a load of
laundry. Marinating the chicken for dinner. Taking a walk.
But
sometimes the break I need is just some other form of the thing I do all the
time—a writing break that's also, in its own lovely, distracting way—a wee bit
of writing.
Then
I head to Six Word Memoirs, where anyone can post their own six words on just
about anything, or if you're game, on their current topic, contest, or theme – baseball,
work, mistakes…hundreds of others. I guess I'm there frequently enough that a
couple of years ago, I was once the site's featured member of the week.
Last
winter apparently (honestly, I forgot!), one Six Word theme was Advice. And I
had some, which came via my mother. And now Mom's advice to me, in six simple
words, has made its way onto the page. Page 75 to be exact.
Larry
Smith, the editor and brains behind Six Words, has compiled his latest collection of "Sixes,"
published yesterday, The Best Advice inSix Words: Writers Famous and Obscure on Love, Sex, Money, Friendship, Family,Work, and Much More (St. Martin's Press).
The
lovely little book—by the way, a great size, shape, and price for holiday gifts
(or okay, bathroom reading)—offers advice from 1000 (!) people, including
folks like Harlan Coben, Mark Bitman, Susan Orlean, Elizabeth Gilbert. Clearly
they're part of the "Famous" and I'm the "Obscure." But
hey, I do share the same page with Weird Al Yankovic and Brian Lehrer.
In
the past, I've even made an assignment out of writing Sixes in my undergraduate
and teen creative nonfiction classes, and adult writing workshops: a break that
refreshes.
Want
to give it a try? Want to get the book free? Write your own six words on…Writing? Autumn? Early holiday retailing? On…well,
anything. Anything at all.
Post
a Six in comments below OR tweet a Six and be sure to tag me @LisaRomeo (and if you like, also tag @SixWords) OR if
you're reading this on Facebook, put your six in a FB comment under my post, by
midnight, Sunday, November 22. Then a random *winner* will get a freebie book
from the lovely folks at Six Words.
Let
the sixing begin…
4 comments:
Sift, mix, remix, blow it out.
Lunging forward, striving, behind until the end.
Read, write, cry, walk, write, read.
Congratulations to Debborah J., whose Six Word entry was chosen at random, from all those who played here on the blog, on Twitter, and on Facebook.
Thanks all for reading & playing. Go forth and six !
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