writing process

Pi, and other half-grasped concepts

~ ERWhittington

If my mobile phone camera can’t take a photo of the back of my phone (to show my instagram followers the beauty that is my brand new red phonebox-styled phone cover), does the back of my mobile phone really exist?

Apart from such important conundrums as these, I’ve been at least ankle-deep recently in the structure of the universe, stretching the boundaries of my minuscule brain (‘minuscule’ not in fact being spelled ‘miniscule’, however more appropriate that spelling seems – who knew?*) with research surrounding the link between mathematics and music, nature and numbers.

Let’s talk about pi. Continue reading →

Another thing*

~ ERWhittington ~ Leave a comment

I never had an imaginary friend growing up (two brothers; too busy beating each other up**), but I imagine that chuckling quietly to oneself at one’s character’s remarks isn’t too dissimilar to laughing at one’s own jokes, and that constructing entire conversations as a way of recording the voices in one’s head (each with their surprising insights) has got to represent at least a mild foray into a dance with psychosis***. Continue reading →

Two Things

~ ERWhittington ~ Leave a comment

1. Writing is always a game of tricking yourself into productivity via reverse psychology (luckily, my subconscious doesn’t ever get the joke); when I sit down and intend to write absolute nonsense, in a mockery of myself, that’s when I write the good stuff. When I sit down to write the world’s most innovative, surprising, heartfelt prose, that’s when I decide I need a walk, and another cup of pomegranate green tea. Continue reading →

Ray Bradbury: Advice to Writers

~ ERWhittington ~ Leave a comment

I absolutely love this talk, given by Ray Bradbury, as the the keynote address of The Sixth Annual Writer’s Symposium by the Sea at Point Loma Nazarene University in 2001.

I’m attaching it to my blog here as a sort of reminder to come back and watch it again sometime; there’s so much goodness in it.

It also reminds me how much I used to love reading short stories; snippets of life and metaphor (and ideas!) that get into your head before you sleep, making everything whir overnight. Continue reading →