Introduction

For some reason, I do my best non essential thinking when I'm supposed to be doing some very essential thinking.

I have been loathing my lack of written product for years. This is no exaggeration. Yes, I was one of those girls the teachers always said "you're such a good writer!" to, usually accompanied with that teacher wink reserved for the socially awkward child who is painfully craving reassurance. But beyond that, the toughest, most crotchety professor in college eventually told me that I was not an abysmal writer, and that cinched it. I would from that point on be terrified of every syllable I committed to set down lest I disappoint Professor Crusty.

The last four plus years have seen no written output from me other than a deluge of exclamation-pointed, capitalization ridden craigslist monstrosities--and if you've looked for an apartment in the Greater Boston area in that time frame, I apologize now for the grammarcide I have subjected you to. Or, to which I have subjected you. And will probably continue to, unless the way people search for apartments changes drastically sometime soon. Either way, sorry about that.

Sitting on my porch in the sundress I'd just ripped the tags off, despite having purchased it over a year ago, I started to think about what it is I ought to write. Fiction is a beast too hungry for me--I have yet to find the corner of my imagination that isn't too stuffed with Stephen King and dusted over with cliches for me to display it with any real pride. But I did well with pastiche type essays back in undergrad. Memoir has crossed my mind a few times, but my poor sense of chronology and protective stretches of amnesia make it too difficult to piece together intelligibly.

I do know some seriously kickass and interesting people. Many, in fact, are both. I'm ripping the tags off the inseam of my brain--finally--and committing to trying on my old writer self. There is definitely a chance it's ill-fitting now, but what hell.

The plan is thus: 1000 words per a person I know, ideally getting three people in per week, until I've managed to incorporate 1000 people into the work. Mostly because it'll make me feel popular to know 1000 people by name. I have no real set plan other than that--but for the sake of discipline I intend to write exactly 1000 words per entry so I don't go overboard.

Did I mention I put on this sundress at night to go sit on my dark front porch? That should set things just about right for where I'm coming from.