Author Laurie Halse Anderson and I have eerily similar mindsets. Except I think the universe wants me dead.

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Author Laurie Halse Anderson, at a recent SCBWI conference, spoke to would-be writers about what she called Attitudes You Want to Grow in Your Soul. Laurie_Halse_Anderson The title is a little touchy-feely for me. I might have gone with something like Attitudes Required to Stop Being a Loser or What to Remember When You Are Acting Like a Whining Baby.

But the ideas she provides in order to grow your soul are remarkable similar to beliefs that I profess on an almost daily basis (with the exception of one).

She said:

  • 24 hours in a day is more than enough.
  • The universe wants you to be creative.
  • Change equals discomfort. Discomfort won't kill you.
  • You have the intelligence to reclaim your lost time, but are you brave enough?
  • You have more control over how you spend your precious time and energy than you care to admit.

That’s a good list, and it’s one that people (and especially writers) need to hear.  The only one I would change would be the second:

  • The universe wants you to be creative.

I would replace it with this:

  • Entropy exists. The universe wants to kill you and spread your matter across the widest possible distance. The clock is ticking.  Move now.

Not quite as inspirational as the other bullets, but extremely important to remember.