http://www.dianebyington.com Writing for Your Own Satisfaction Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:15:16 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Happy Holidays, everyone! Here is a little Christmas story I wrote.  OK, maybe the main character is a little like me.  Diane            Mary had failed Spanish in the seventh grade, and was so traumatized afterward that every time she tried to utter even a few words of a foreign language, ... http://www.dianebyington.com/quinto-avenida/ Of course it is, if you copy someone else's words verbatim. But not if you use their words as a springboard to your own writing. I once attended a writing workshop where the teacher suggested we try to imitate the sentences of writers we like, as a way ... http://www.dianebyington.com/is-it-really-cheating-to-copy/ My grandmother – Mamaw, we grandkids called her -- cooked for days. By the time we arrived on Thanksgiving morning, the freezer in the back entryway was covered with pies. I can remember always having a couple of pumpkin pies, chocolate crème, apple pie, and often a blueberry ... http://www.dianebyington.com/thanksgiving-memories/ I haven't posted recently because I've been obsessed with writing my second novel (more on that soon).  I need to say how really challenging it is to do the needed research, park myself in a chair for long hours on a daily basis, and know just how bad my first ... http://www.dianebyington.com/the-moment-that-changed-my-life/ Yesterday was the 21st day of the diet I started earlier in the month, and the end of my commitment to it.  So this will be my last post regarding weight loss.  Time to reflect on what I've gained (or lost) from this project. I lost only four pounds, and I ... http://www.dianebyington.com/the-last-day/ I'm cranky today.  My stomach hurts, probably from all the different foods I've been eating.  I don't have much energy.  Oh yes, I've lost three pounds in the past week, and I'll continue with the eating plan.  But I'm reminded that this is a real change in my eating, and ... http://www.dianebyington.com/not-such-a-good-day/ "If you want to lose weight, add more oil."  "Coconut oil is the best kind of oil to cook with."  "Saturated fats are required for the nervous system to function properly."  These are just a few of the mind-blowing ideas that were tossed out during our marathon, five-hour class yesterday.  Three ... http://www.dianebyington.com/463/ Any dieter has to deal with the biggest bugaboo -- deprivation. One can't diet while at the same time eating the same way as before, hence the need to deprive oneself of something one really wants. In my case, chocolate and other carbs. But what's the ... http://www.dianebyington.com/deprivation/ I made it through the first day of the -- agh! -- diet. Actually without too much trouble, after I had an apple. Something about fruit that makes life worth living. I didn't make it through South Beach and Atkins because they didn't allow fruit. I ... http://www.dianebyington.com/day-2-and-counting/ Is it too late to wish everyone a happy new year? By now you've probably made your resolutions and broken at least half of them. What is it about this time of year -- such good intentions, such lousy follow-through? I've decided to do something about that ... http://www.dianebyington.com/im-going-to-lose-weight-if-it-kills-me/