Greetings all. I hope this edition of Basement Missives finds you well, and enjoying the hell out of the new year.
Just a quick update and breakdown of my weekly writing goals.
Saturday 01/06 → 221/566: This was a busy Saturday, and I fell short of the goal. Thankfully, I had written over my goal in the previous days which gave me a bit of a cushion.
Sunday 01/07 → 733/566
Monday 01/08 → 0/570: Rough day. I came down with a stomach bug, and wasn’t feeling up to writing.
Tuesday 01/09 → 2,406/570: Still feeling ill, so I stayed home. Made up for the previous day. Of the total words for the day, 900 were revised and edited (in other words salvaged) from previous drafts.
Wednesday 01/10 → 608/570
Thursday 01/11 → 647/570
Friday 01/12 → 634/570
Saturday 01/13 → 608/570
Sunday 01/14 → 853/570
Weekly Total=6,710
Overall since January 2=9,465
In other news, I listened to a great interview with V.E. Schwab on the 88 Cups of Tea with Yin Ohang podcast. Schwab is the author of the Shades of Magic series, as well as a slew of other books for a variety of reading levels (Sidenote: I recently read A Darker Shade of Magic, Book 1 in the series, and got a big kick out of it). The interview ranges in topics, but Schwab’s mention and explanation of a “Creative Monster” was one of the most interesting. According to Schwab, writer’s only have a finite amount of creative output before they have to refuel. Their “Creative Monster” needs to be fed with content. This means that after churning out writing, folks need to consume. This is why it’s so important for writers to be readers. Schwab encouraged folks to read as widely and as often as possible. She stressed the importance of reading outside of your comfort zone, as this will only improve your craft, leading to a more unique storytelling style. Additionally, she encouraged that when watching shows or movies, we need to be purposeful. Don’t watch just to have something on, but to engage with the story. This rang true for me as I’m really attempting to ease off movies and television this month, trying to be more purposeful with what I’m watching. When I was sick, I did watch a lot of the Fargo television series. Excellent show.
The Watkins Family Hour released a record last year, and it’s so damn good from start to finish. I think this record was a long time coming. Siblings Sarah and Sean Watkins–occasionally in the new grass band, Nickel Creek, with Chris Thile, but more consistently working on their solo endeavors–hosted a monthly show at Largo in Los Angeles. Every show, they’d invite a rotating band of musicians to join them on stage, including Benmont Tench, Jackson Browne, Fiona Apple, and many more. Until the record came out, you only could experience the magic of these shows either live or through their podcast. They selected eleven phenomenal tunes for their debut, including the Roger Miller tune from Disney’s Robin Hood, “Not in Nottingham.” They also close with a cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Brokedown Palace.” If you get the chance, check it out.
Vikings pulled off a win against the Saints last night with a no time left walk-off touchdown pass from Keenum to Diggs. SKOL! They advance to face the Eagles in a division title game next weekend. Our tv’s still busted so I had to ingest this game via internet updates, and text messages from my dad. Seems like this was the wrong game to miss. I’ve always been a Niners fan, and when I met Audrey and saw the Packers Hall of Fame at Lambeau Field, I became a Packers fan too (I actually got to take in a Packers game over the holiday with my brother-in-law…pretty darn cold there at Lambeau, but an incredible experience). Those were my two teams. Then when we moved to Minnesota, I didn’t necessarily become a Vikings fan, but I would root for them if they weren’t playing the Niners or Packers. But every year, I find myself cheering for the purple-clad a little bit more, easing closer to that bandwagon every time it circled. After this season, I’m ready to climb aboard.
Alright, I better close. Got to get my lunches prepped for the week, and supper cooking on the stove. We’re trying out some of Audrey’s homemade seitan this evening.
Be well.
Huzzah.
Ryan
Ryan L. Purdy 