I’m a non-starter for breakfast. Before two o’clock in the afternoon, I can only manage coffee. I require several hours to shake the last vestiges of sleep, reacquire the ability to speak in coherent sentences, and remember I am a human, not a zombie. A hot cuppa Joe helps my transformation.

There are many great dishes unjustly relegated to morning hours. Bacon has made the jump, transitioning from a sidekick for scrambled eggs to everybody’s wingman. Bacon-wrapped scallops, bacon cheeseburgers, bacon-wrapped French fries, bacon donuts, chocolate-coated bacon, and bacon ice cream are a few of the break-out roles for our favorite salty, smokey, crispy, fun-filled friend.

Waffles have ventured outside of their early typecasting, daring to provide a supporting role to chicken. Oatmeal creates delicious cookies. And quiche makes daring appearances throughout the day from appetizers to sweet desserts.

With these success stories, might we find a place for French toast, biscuits, round sausage patties, coffeecake, or cream of wheat? What’s wrong with Crêpes, Eggs Benedict, or hash browns served for dinner? I would love it if we elevated maple syrup to an all-day condiment. Or maybe I am a starving artist, attempting to spin my reality, and my need to eat on the cheap until my next payday.

Are you feeling stuck in your same-old, same-old?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Despite our best planning, brilliant juggling, inspired delegation skills, and a commitment to finish projects, shit happens. Life delivers hours long traffic jams, and hectic is an understatement. Coworkers pack your inbox with emergencies, thoughtlessly making them your problem (because you are the expert at finding solutions). When you think it can’t get any worse, a truckload of lemons arrives on your doorstep.

TGIF. I need a lovely meal, preferably one I don’t have to cook. The hostess informs me that unless I want to eat at 5 pm or 10 pm, the minimum wait time is an hour and fifteen minutes. This introvert is not amused. I have no desire to bump around like a pinball in wall-to-wall people. Where is my friend with the alcohol? There is nothing better than a quiet drink savored after surviving a hellish week, before succumbing to absolute exhaustion.

I am excited for the impending weekend, the promised opportunity of sleeping late, avoiding work-related obligations for two whole days, and the room I need to relax and recover. When I can breathe, I plan to organize and schedule next week. My goal is to get back on track. Is anyone interested in a few lemons?

How do you recuperate after a busy week?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Great stories fill my life. Unforgettable tales live in my memory, flow through my veins, and imbed themselves in my DNA. A tiny seed ignites a bright idea. I can write a book, a voice whispers, and my journey begins. Teachers recommend reading everything in our chosen genre and developing a daily writing habit. I scribble, read, edit, and compare my product to best-sellers, and deem my efforts lacking. A niggling doubt blossoms into abject fear of never being “good enough.”

My reactions vary. I could give up, or vow to work harder, and descend into workaholic over-achiever mode. I obsess with unproductive comparisons, or rationalize, delay, procrastinate, and otherwise avoid working on my dream.

Those traps reveal a logic flaw. I haven’t discovered a definition or consensus of an exemplary narrative or the criteria for “good enough.” The search for a sure-fire story formula leads to subjective evaluations. Readers have personal preferences, some devour romance, while others call them formulaic. Futuristic technology, which doesn’t exist, does not dissuade die-hard sci-fi fans.

I must learn to practice kindness. Brilliance is not a prerequisite to start my expedition and genius is not the end goal. The only requirement is writing to the best of my ability today. I consider the people I admire and find I focus on the things they do well, not their flaws. Emulating their bravery is the path I follow. I trust my novel will resonate with some readers, and I persevere.

How do you create your best story?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer