The Journey: Exercise 1

Day 5

I have yet to write anything. I've had some free time this week and I just haven't been productive. No letters to friends, no dishes done, no laundry, no cleaning. Anyway, I was also kinda holding back from the writing in order to get a journal specifically for this trip back to being a writer. I didn't get the journal.

So, the first exercise is all over the place. It does not call for any specificity. In fact, it basically just says write.

Some of my options include observations, lists, overheard conversations, memories, story ideas, and titles of things you are never going to write. Essentially the goal is to get pen on paper in whatever way I can.

Now, lists I've got covered.

There's an example of lists I make just about every day with some more lists attached to it. And, oh, there's a list of thank you cards I was supposed to send and never did.

I don't think writing more lists is going to help me with anything.

Maybe writing titles to things I'll never write will work out. My friend and roomie, Ali, and I have been making jokes all summer about the perfect memoir titles for us. Her's include "The Plastic Pancreas" and "When the Freckles Combine." 

Here is one I think fits me well.

Yup, I'm that's me.

I also like "Green Hat Pat: The story of a boy and his safety blankets."

"The No Fun Zone: the story of a man so boring even the British were bored."

"Sass Master Pat: Queer, Fabulous, and sometimes fairly Masculine."

"My Mom says I move at two speeds: Slow and Slower."

"I'm not an authentic latino: the story of a puerto rican man who gets his cultural knowledge from NPR's Alt. Latino."

Alright! I think that's all of them for now. Let me know if you have any titles to stories/books you'll never write in the comments!

--pat