Friday Fabulosities--Natural Born Storytellers

O what a week it's been! I've sent off a short story to a contest, had my query posted on Matthew MacNish's The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment, posted my first post on my new blog, Middle Grade Mafioso, and suddenly have a whole bunch of new friends into the bargain. For all those who became followers this week: A HUGE THANK YOU. I hope you'll drop in often.

(If you're wondering about Matt's critique of my query, he posted earlier today that he was ill. I sent him to bed with some chicken soup--so I hope that will do the trick and he'll be right as rain again soon.)

Here's today's fabulosity from best-selling romance writer, JoAnn Ross. (It's originally from Andrew McAleers's 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists. Do yourselves a favor and get a copy. Full of inspiration!)

I believe we're all born storytellers. If you watch infants babble to themselves and toddlers having conversations with their stuffed animals, you can see the wealth of creativity humans are born with.

Then, about the time children start going to school, they start to color inside the lines--that the sky is blue, the grass is green, and no, you can't have a separate desk for your imaginary best friend. Little by little, that storytelling ability drifts away. Most of the writers I know have somehow managed to stay in touch with that inner child who's never heard of such a thing as an internal editor.

 (Well, unfortunately, I have heard of the internal editor. He knocks my knuckles with a ruler. Frequently. And he can't stand my imaginary best friend. I'd love to ditch the I.E., preferably on a dirt track in Alaska with some hungry bears closing in. Anybody have any idea how to do that?)

Have a good weekend, everyone. Those of you who celebrate Easter, may it be a reminder of the opportunity of rebirth for all of us, in our lives and in our creative endeavors. See you on Monday!