Sarah Wrote That

Today I'm Reminding My Students

to watch out for spelling eros

This afternoon I signed off a letter to a potential vendor, “I look forward to working with you.” Now I can’t stop thinking about the last line of this bit of genius from the folks who’d go on to bring us Whose Line Is It Anyway?

"Some AccuWeather.com meteorologists have even been referring to the storm as a 'snowicane' rather than a blizzard," reports AccuWeather.com, "in order to express the fierce extent of the snow and wind expected from the storm."

Because ‘blizzard’ clearly can’t convey the extent of snow and wind that confronts us.

‘Blizzard’ is such an awesome word—the punch of the ‘b,’ the white-out fuzz of the double ‘z’… Blizzards were the best parts of the Little House series, when they got to play word games by the potbellied stove and had to go between buildings by rope. Also: starvation! Blizzards will kick your a**! We have Blizzard of 1888 to thank for buried utility cables in New York City:

English teachers of America, where did we go wrong? How can anyone pass up an opportunity to say ‘blizzard’? Say it today!

(AccuWeather quote via)

What’s better than lists of “if you want to write” tips? Well, this from Laura Ellen Scott:

3. If your plot is too exciting or moving too fast, enhance realism by making your characters stop for a meal at an ethnic restaurant. Describe each course and allow your characters to re-cap the plot so far.
5. Do not write a single word unless you know how your story will end. You are the dungeon master.
7. Trust your workshop peers. They aren’t in competition with you or anything, nor are they attempting to hijack your story to make it their own. Use all of their advice. Also, keep work-shopping a recalcitrant story for years.

via HTML Giant

The Parable Of The Fine Restaurant And Magic Cookie Jar

Once not so very long ago, in a place much like this, lived a family who looked forward every week to dining at a fine restaurant. Such care over the menu! Such surprising ingredients and combinations, fruits and vegetables from many countries, and main dishes—fish from far oceans, and meats from farms that the family hadn’t known were right in their neighborhood.

“Not only is every meal here tasty and nutritious,” the husband said. “But we always learn something.”

“It’s well worth the money,” his wife agreed.

“So much effort,” the little boy said, and pulled at his little tie. Because, since it wasn’t every day that the family went out to the fine restaurant, and because the restaurant cost money, it was important to dress up.

“I like it,” the little girl said. She wasn’t sure if what she liked was dressing up, or that they only went out once a week, or what she ate. When she thought about them, she couldn’t tell these things apart.

continue reading The Parable Of The Fine Restaurant And Magic Cookie Jar

This afternoon I was rearranging my office and decided I preferred the furniture where it had been. And there was definitely an instant in which my fingers did the keyboard shortcut for ‘undo.’

We’re going to be very strange as old people.