You’re carefully sculpted writing groove caves in like a badly dug trench.<\/p>\n Now, please understand, when I mention a Groove, I’m not talking about a muse. I don’t believe in The Muse. A Muse. Whatever. Eff that nonsense right in the ear. Clinging to the ‘inspiration of the muse’ is some delicate, lacey bullshit (there’s a mental image) and I have no patience for it.<\/p>\n But there is such a thing as a groove, it is possible to get knocked out of it, and it can be a fucking drag to get back in there. Without some serious effort, it could take…<\/p>\n Well, honestly, it might never happen on its own.<\/p>\n This will not stand.<\/p>\n The mind-dulling blankness of January has gone by, and it’s time to dig your way back in there. Let the mud fly, people, and don’t worry about who else it hits.<\/p>\n What’s that? No shovel? Must you use your bare hands?<\/p>\n Ye– No. No you don’t. There are tools.<\/p>\n It’s a simple thing to say, but one very pleasant way to make the mud fly is to read. If nothing else, it helps you remember the various cool ways those word things get strung together. Some of what you read will inspire you, some will amaze you, and some of it will, to put it bluntly, make you really really mad that you aren’t making a living as an author right now, because goddamn if you aren’t a hell of a lot better than this<\/em> guy.<\/p>\n But I don’t need to tell you to read. You’re doing that already.<\/p>\n Right. It’s not the activity that I’m specifically talking about, it’s the author; what I need you to do right now is start reading your very very favorite author of all time.<\/p>\n You.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"http:\/\/doycetesterman.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/things-keep-getting-worse.jpg\" "\\"things")
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\nWait.<\/p>\nRead<\/h2>\n