I dunno. 
Sometimes, phrases just pop into my head. I think this is a writer thing, but it may happen to everyone, even civilians. The bad phrases pop in and pop back out again, but the good phrases hang around and bother me untile I do something with them.
Last week sometime, the things that bind you popped into my head.
So I've been pondering things that bind me.
These things can be good and bad.
Good Things That Bind Me
1. Family
2. Friends
3. Writing
4. Passion
5. Desire to help others
6. Creativity
Bad Things That Bind Me
1. Fear
2. Lack of Confidence
3. Tendency Towards Judgment
4. Impetuousness
5. Getting Bored Easily
I reserve the right to add more things to each list as they occur to me. I also reserve the right to duck when you throw things at me because the phrase, the things that bind you, is now stuck in your head. Since it is, why not list them in the comments?
Photo courtesy of stringbot, from Flickr, by way of EveryStockPhoto.
Ledger D'Main
Mummy needs a manicure and a case of wrinkle cream.
How’s about a few tips on avoiding saying ‘as’….as part of a quote description.
“That’s good,” said James as he poured some more coffee.
…………………………………..as he closed the door.
………………………………….as he did this, that or the not other thing.
Yes I know you can put it at the beginning……James poured a cup of coffee and said, “that’s good.”—-if you put the action description at the beginning you always end up saying ‘and said’—-any other tricks?—and substituting ‘while’ gets old too.
J.D. Frost
The first three on your list of good binders also apply to me. Then it gets iffy. #4. Passion? I’ve got some of that somewhere. If I can get out of this chair, maybe I’ll find it. #5. Desire to help others. I have a big roll of that. I just haven’t torn any sheets off of it in a while. #6 Creativity? I’ve heard of it.
On the negative side, the thing that really binds me and chaps my butt as well: When I have a little time to write and I recognize it as time to write, too often I turn my hand to something else that is absolutely meaningless.
Charlotte Dixon
Ledger, The mummy needs some of my Egyptian Miracle cream, best stuff in the world. To answer your question: Try varying your dialogue tags and movements by turning them into two sentences once in awhile: “That’s good,” said James. He poured some more coffee.
Does that make sense?
Charlotte Dixon
Hey J.D., I do that dumb stuff, too, sometimes fritter away my time. To hark back to my Monday post about scheduling time, I do find the good thing about writing every day is that you get the momentum rolling and you’re so excited about the work that there is less of that farting around, as I so delicately like to call it.