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amandaonwriting:

Philip Pullman: On Writer’s Block

Writer’s block…a lot of howling nonsense would be avoided if, in every sentence containing the word WRITER, that word was taken out and the word PLUMBER substituted; and the result examined for the sense it makes. Do plumbers get plumber’s block? What would you think of a plumber who used that as an excuse not to do any work that day?

The fact is that writing is hard work, and sometimes you don’t want to do it, and you can’t think of what to write next, and you’re fed up with the whole damn business. Do you think plumbers don’t feel like that about their work from time to time? Of course there will be days when the stuff is not flowing freely. What you do then is MAKE IT UP. I like the reply of the composer Shostakovich to a student who complained that he couldn’t find a theme for his second movement. “Never mind the theme! Just write the movement!” he said.

Writer’s block is a condition that affects amateurs and people who aren’t serious about writing. So is the opposite, namely inspiration, which amateurs are also very fond of. Putting it another way: a professional writer is someone who writes just as well when they’re not inspired as when they are.

Source for Image

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nypl:

One of the fun parts of the Library’s new exhibition, Lunch Hour NYC, which opens tomorrow, is the Automat machine, which has been restored in all its Art-Deco splendor. Visitors are allowed to open up the doors just like the old days, but instead of putting in a nickle and taking out a piece of pie, you open the door and take out a recipe card. The recipes are scaled-down versions of the actual recipes used by the Horn and Hardart company.

One of us made the Automat’s Baked Macaroni and Cheese the other day. Our husband accidentally bought corkscrew noodles instead of elbow, but otherwise we did just as instructed, and it turned out great. Try it for yourself:

Baked Macaroni and Cheese from Horn & Hardart’s Automat

1/4 lb elbow macaroni
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
dash white pepper
dash red pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tbsp light cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup canned tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp sugar

Cook macaroni according to directions on the package. Preheat oven to 400 deg.

Melt butter in the top of a double boiler. Blend flour, salt, and white and red pepper in gradually. When smooth, add milk and cream, stirring constantly. Cook for a few minutes until it thickens.

Add cheese and continue to heat until it melts and the sauce looks smooth. Remove from heat. Add cooked macaroni to the sauce. Add sugar to tomatoes and add to the sauce.

Pour mixture into a buttered baking dish and bake until the surface browns. Serves 4. (We must add: serves 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main.)

neil-gaiman:

I was just thinking today how much I love Tom Gauld’s work. So I am posting this here so other people will love it too.

writersbane:

My prescription for writer’s block is to face the fact that there is no such thing. It’s an invented condition, a literary version of the judicial “abuse excuse.” Writing well is difficult, but one can always write something. And then, with a lot of work, make it better. It’s a question of having enough will and ambition, not of hoping to evade this mysterious hysteria people are always talking about.

THOMAS MALLON

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daisychainsaw:

(by Sofi Anne)

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nypl:

The Cullman Center Institute for Teachers is a dedicated program that offers opportunities for teachers to gain professional development and enrich their understanding of history and literature by attending seminars taught by the accomplished writers and scholars of NYPL’s Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers. Courses offered this Spring include: writing workshops for Fiction, Non-Fiction or Romance, seminars about the history of New York, the Middle Ages, or African-American culture, or an in-depth look at The Great Gatsby and more. It’s a diverse group of classes, sure to inspire - but hurry, the deadline is January 9th! To apply click here.

Aaaa, I wish I could apply! /reblogs for teachers in the area

heyoscarwilde:

As you wish.

The Princess Bride by Sarah Mensinga :: via sarahmensinga.blogspot.com

betterbooktitles:

Oscar Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest

Reader Submission: Title by Vijay Welch

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