Notes to Start a Writer's Week

1. Despite the fact that sleep seems to interfere with writing, sleep has been clinically proven to be essential. Even for writers.

2. Think of it this way: Sleep begets dreams. Dreams beget stories. Stories beget writing.

3. Writing begets staying up way late to finish dreaming up (and recording) this really important plot twist, oh!, and that essential list of character quirks, and long bouts of inspirational reading.

4. Besides, when you're sleep-deprived your writing seems much more inspired and genius than later, when you're actually in full possession of your faculties. Kind of like how drunk people are only funny to other drunk people, except without the alcohol, because alcohol does tend to inhibit good writing.

5. And when you're sleep-deprived, you have this bad habit of reading to fall asleep. And then, instead of going to sleep, you stay up until you've finished the book.

6. This is why you've had to swear off grown-up books. They're too long. You'd never sleep.

7. Bad, Cheryl! Stop salivating and thinking of the book you're going to begin at 10:45 pm! You promised to go to bed early!!

8. Oh. What's that book about again? Really? Well, it's true you'd have a hard time stopping in the middle of a book like that....

9. Ack! What are you saying? Be strong, Cheryl!

10. Nah. Take a book to bed and sleep all day tomorrow. It's Tuesday, after all, right? Right. Nothing important on Tuesdays. I don't think.

:) Cheryl