I posted a motivational blurb on the SCBWI Canada East website today, about slogging it through the last days of November's novel-writing challenge. I have never actually made the NaNoWriMo journey, meaning I've never done a start-to-finish draft in the month of November. I've started books, and I've finished books, but never both in November.… Continue reading NaNoWriMo on the Slow Track
It's the first day of Inktober. Illustrators know this. The rest of us might not -- but we should, all of us. Because Inktober is awesome. And it's for everyone. Inktober began in 2009, by artist Jake Parker, as a challenge to improve drawing skills and practices. The gist is simple: you make an ink drawing… Continue reading Inktober for those afraid to Draw
Life got busy and I missed a week of blogging. That never had any effect before Fearless February, but now I'm many phobias behind. Let's catch up quickly: 20. Public Spaces can be terrifying because they are full of people and maybe even zombies and you don't have much control over either of those, hence… Continue reading The Missing Phobias (Fearless February Catch-up)
Chronomentrophobia. The fear of clocks. No, I don't mean the Cold Play song. I mean the thing the mouse ran up. This unusual phobia is not to be confused with Chronophobia, the fear of time (which is much too hard to get your head around), or Gerontophobia, the fear of aging (which is much too… Continue reading Who’s Afraid of Clocks? (Fearless February Day 19)
Acrophobia. The fear of heights. If you have this common phobia, you don't want to live here: You don't want to walk on this street, just looking at these old construction photos makes you queasy: Acrophobia can hit you at any time in your life. You could be loving the Ferris wheel every summer till… Continue reading Who’s Afraid of Heights? (Fearless February Day 18)
Catherine Austen 