On writing

1 Never worry about the commercial possibilities of a project. That stuff is for agents and editors to fret over – or not. Conversation with my American publisher. Me: "I'm writing a book so boring, of such limited commercial appeal, that if you publish it, it will probably cost you your job." Publisher: "That's exactly what makes me want to stay in my job."
2 Don't write in public places. In the early 1990s I went to live in Paris. The usual writerly reasons: back then, if you were caught writing in a pub in England, you could get your head kicked in, whereas in Paris, dans les cafés . . . Since then I've developed an aversion to writing in public. I now think it should be done only in private, like any other lavatorial activity.
3 Don't be one of those writers who sentence themselves to a lifetime of sucking up to Nabokov.
4 If you use a computer, constantly refine and expand your autocorrect settings. The only reason I stay loyal to my piece-of-shit computer is that I have invested so much ingenuity into building one of the great auto­correct files in literary history. Perfectly formed and spelt words emerge from a few brief keystrokes: "Niet" becomes "Nietzsche", "phoy" becomes  ­"photography" and so on. ­Genius!
5 Keep a diary. The biggest regret of my writing life is that I have never kept a journal or a diary.
6 Have regrets. They are fuel. On the page they flare into desire.
7 Have more than one idea on the go at any one time. If it's a choice between writing a book and doing nothing I will always choose the latter. It's only if I have an idea for two books that I choose one rather than the other. I ­always have to feel that I'm bunking off from something.
8 Beware of clichés. Not just the ­clichés that Martin Amis is at war with. There are clichés of response as well as expression. There are clichés of observation and of thought – even of conception. Many novels, even quite a few adequately written ones, are ­clichés of form which conform to clichés of expectation.
9 Do it every day. Make a habit of putting your observations into words and gradually this will become instinct. This is the most important rule of all and, naturally, I don't follow it.
10 Never ride a bike with the brakes on. If something is proving too difficult, give up and do something else. Try to live without resort to per­severance. But writing is all about ­perseverance. You've got to stick at it. In my 30s I used to go to the gym even though I hated it. The purpose of ­going to the gym was to postpone the day when I would stop going. That's what writing is to me: a way of ­postponing the day when I won't do it any more, the day when I will sink into a depression so profound it will be indistinguishable from perfect bliss.
Geoff Dyer

Ten Rainy Day Activities

1. Curl up under the covers and read a good book

I’m shooting this one out there first, because I can’t really think of a better way to spend a rainy day. Throw on your old comfy sweats, toss together a tray with hot tea or cocoa and some assorted goodies, make a soft cloud out of pillows and comforters on your bed, curl up and read away. 

2. Write

It may be tempting to get lost for hours in Facebook games and status updates, or Google away the day.  Face it, the internet is like a canister of Pringles: once you pop you can’t stop.  And truth be told, most writers write in the late fall and throughout winter.  Pull up Word, turn off your wireless, and get typing!

3. Invest in an Espresso machine

Coffee.  The best Seasonal Affective Disorder eradicator EVER.

4. Dance

Put on some good and fast beats and shake those hips!  Dancing releases endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that are responsible for positive moods and act as natural pain killers.  Dancing also relieves stress.  You can ad lib it and gyrate about freestyle, or take advantage of the millions of dance instructionals on You Tube.  Bonus: after a few weeks of rainy weather your waist band will be looser.

5. Train your pet

Get those treats out and train your best furry friend how to do a cool new trick.  I trained my cat how to turn on light switches on command and do multiple flips in the air.

6. Go outside anyway

Assuming it’s not a chilly or heavy rain, and there is no lightning, go ahead and go outside.  Dress in layers, bring an umbrella, and take a walk in your local wooded area (forests smell amazing when it’s raining) or workout in the park.  Once you get home and shed your sodden clothing, take a hot shower and brew hot cocoa.  Amazing.

7. Cook

Been drooling over some of the fantastic creations on those cooking shows but been too intimidated by the time necessary to put it together?  Take your rainy day and visit the local marketplace, head home and cook an amazing dish you normally would never have time for.  The best part?  Indulging in your creation afterward!  Invite a friend over for dinner, and don’t forget a nice bottle of wine.

8. Movie Marathon

Cuddle with your mate, or invite your best friend.  Be sure to have plenty of popcorn, theater style snacks, and quick finger foods available.

9. Get indoors-somewhere else

Go to the theater or symphony.  Catch a play or check out the new release at the theater.  And when was the last time you visited an arcade?  Or bowling?  You can even bring your laptop and spend the day at your favorite café.  And libraries can be pretty fun, there are always a ton of people during drizzles.

10. Make something

Learn a craft.  Or finish one you have started.  Paint, ceramics, crochet, drawing, calligraphy, scrapbooking…  the possibilities are endless.  Plus the feeling of learning something new and creating something yourself is priceless. 

I wish you a spectacular day, no matter if it’s raining outside or if you’re just having a rainy day of the soul.

What is your favorite rainy day tip?

Why your gifts should always be jewelry

Tip # 91.  Bling baby.  Survival is the best excuse to owning jewelry.  In many self-defense training classes, the instructors will advise ladies to wear large rings.  Your fist will pack more of a punch to a perpetrators face.  

  * from The City Girls Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse *