i signed up for an online short story writing class to motivate me to write short stories. my mom is demanding a collection of short stories, fictional or non-fictional, she doesn’t care. i also see myself being most ready to put together a collection of short stories. so the first thing we had to do today was submit bios. here’s mine:
Born in Texas, raised in California, my greatest trauma was the mom-subjected perm I had for 6 years (junior high through high school–the cruelest years). Majored in English and Film at University of Michigan and lived in LA for 10 years, before moving to Amsterdam last year, winning a Cannabis Cup as a brand-consultant bringing a smoking product to market (surprisingly, my Chinese parents brag about it, showing you that Chinese parents will brag about anything their children do). Now living in Seattle on a one year living/writing sabbatical. This is code for moving to a place where I don’t know anyone so I can force myself to talk to lots of strangers and write. I find that writing is 80% paying attention while you’re living and 20% writing. 80% banging your head on your desk screaming obscenities at the heavens (or strangers on the sidewalk below), sometimes curled up in the corner wallowing in self-pity, 20% typing like the wind thinking you’re some kind of chosen one. When I don’t know what to write, I will check the fridge continuously like I’m gonna find some kind of answer there. I hope this writing class will give me more answers than I’ve found in my fridge.
the first assignment? don’t laugh… a 10 minute stream-of-consciousness free-write. little do they know, i’ve got a massive blog and cabinets full of notebooks containing free-writes. i think i can do this assignment with my brain closed.