Makes Cathy C. Hall a dull girl. And a dull writer, too. But maybe I should explain that part.

Remember the last time when you were typity, typity, typing away and then suddenly wham! You hit the brick wall. Or technically, the block. As in a writer’s block. Maybe it was a phrase that you fiddled with, tweaked, or picked at but try as you might it just wouldn’t come out right. (Ooh! I made a little rhyme!) Maybe it was a whole section of your stunning short story that you suddenly realized stunk. So you moved this, scratched this out, added a little here, took away a little there, and before you knew it, you had the same old stink.

Instead of fixing the problem, you sat there, agonizing over the stinkiness, and sabotaging any future Fortune. What you could have done instead is take a little break. Given your mind a rest so you could come back, intellectually renewed with vim and vigor! Pumped a little fresh air into the old grey cells. But what to do? How do you take a break when you’re stuck?

Maybe you’d like to listen to my old buddy, Bill, and his daily podcast here. He’s funny and free. You can’t beat that. Or maybe try a game here. I LOVE those tiny little Nitrome freakazoids. Or take a shower. (Don’t ask me why this works. All I know is that whenever I’m stuck, I take a little dip and voila! Not only do I have a great idea but as a bonus, I also smell nice and clean!). Maybe you have your own ideas about the perfect break. I’m all ears, if you want to pass it on.

Whatever you do, little grasshopper, don’t sit there banging your head against the keyboard. Talk about your breaks—

So what’s the good news, you ask?

Snow! Wheeee! Wonderful, whimsical, wintery snow! Isn’t it grand to sit inside, all cozy and warm, with a hot cuppa. Ideas seem to percolate along too, and so the keyboard was buzzing all weekend with my latest story for the Highlights Fiction contest. You can check out the website here to get all the details. Don’t wait too long. Contest entries must be postmarked by January 31st.

It’s too bad I haven’t finished my first assignment with the Children’s lit course I’m taking. That could have been mighty helpful. But I have read some of the materials and I did pick up one little pointer. Wouldn’t it be funny if I won that contest now that I’ve spent all that money? Well, maybe not funny “ha-ha.”

And now you ask, “Hey, Cathy C. Hall, what’s the bad news?”

Snow. Frozen toes, frozen nose, stuck in the bleepin’ house on a holiday, snow. How’s a girl ever gonna get on the Road to Publication when she’s snowed in? And can’t think straight ’cause she’s so brrrrrr cold.

A little bit of snow goes a long way in the South. Even a dog knows that. (Sally went down the steps, but she absolutely would not go back up!)