Chocolate – The Debutante Ball

Running Away to South America and Other Self-Care Strategies for the Tortured Memoirist

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

This week we’re writing about torturing our protagonists, about creating fictional worlds full of conflict and drama, which puts me in an interesting position since I am my own protagonist. Alas, I didn’t have a lot of choice in my plot line! So instead, I thought I’d write about the opposite: protecting myself as I’ve written and re-written and worked to publish Caged Eyes. But first, can we agree…

My Massive, Sappy Time Capsule by Deb Danielle Younge-Ullman

Don’t say I didn’t warn you… I have a few dozen diaries and journals I would put in my time capsule. The first is a little fake-blue-leather thing with a lock where I wrote the hilariously precocious longings of my fourth grade soul. The journals become less legible as time goes on until, by the time I was twenty-six and actually writing real journal entries while on stage during my…

Thursday, July 10, 2008

11 comments

Smug Resolutions by Deb Danielle Younge-Ullman

New Year’s resolutions frighten me. They have a habit of getting broken, thus undermining my belief that I can achieve legitimate, important goals and generally leaving me a self-pitying mess. But this year, I’m going to keep my New Year’s resolutions. I’m going to keep them with ease and sit back with a smile as those around me fall off their various wagons, plunge into self-hatred, depression and all-encompassing bitterness…

Thursday, January 3, 2008

7 comments

Hey Little Girl–Ya Want Some Candy? by Deb Jenny

When I was little, I was mistress to the high-fructose world of candy. Wax lips, candy cigarettes, Junior Mints, Bit O’ Honey, Sugar Daddies, Baby Ruths…my list of favorite candies was endless. The high point of many of my early elementary school days was stopping at the candy store—either the one behind the school, across a very busy street (who let us do these crazy things like cross busy roads…

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

12 comments

Another Sucker…Learning the Hard Way Again by Deb Danielle

Well, I thought I’d covered “learning the hard way” last week and that this week I’d write something short and maybe even off-topic. But it turns out I’ve learned many things the hard way and should perhaps write a book on the subject. For now, here are are some of the less serious, but hard learned lessons from my life. From childhood: If you cut an arch-shaped wedge out of…

Thursday, September 13, 2007

16 comments

Mia in the Middle by Deb Mia

Middles are tough. To start off, my middle is currently much too wide, the result of too much chocolate and caffeine this past month as I finished THE ALOHA DIARIES. I just didn’t think that a few extra bites of chocolate, McDonald’s, potato chips and all sorts of junk that seemed to call to me would matter in the end. I was wrong. To go off topic here for a…

Thursday, July 12, 2007

7 comments

Guest Post by Danielle Younge-Ullman

How do you protect your writing time…or not? Hello Debs and readers, and welcome to my first blog. The lovely and talented Tish has asked me to fill in for her, so I am here as a guest. I noticed that last week there was a fire theme and this week there seems to be a water theme. I’ll try to work water in somewhere, but I really want to…

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

15 comments

First book, first kid by Deb Jennifer

Although it’s not the most original analogy in the world, I’ve been thinking about how publishing a book is like having a kid. All the anxiety beforehand, all the planning and preparation and daydreaming and wondering what it will really be like. You stock up on diapers and cute little outfits, read all the books about feeding and sleeping. You make lists of all the things to do to get…

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

8 comments

Salty and Sweet by Deb Anna

There’s simply no way I can write the word “popcorn” and not delve into my popcorn-and-Milk Duds combo obsession. I don’t know when it started. I just know that today, as soon as someone says, “Hey, are you interested in seeing…” I’m already imagining scooping a handful of butter-drenched corn and Milk Dud into my mouth. Sometimes, when I’m not feeling remotely inspired by what’s out there, the thought is…

Monday, December 25, 2006

6 comments

Exercise Addiction By Spandex-ed Deb Anna

My name is Anna and I am an exercise addict. In terms of addictions, it could be worse – I should know, because I have all of them. (I have what they call an addictive personality.) With exercise, however, I’m not planning to get into recovery. See, considering the fact that I’m also addicted to chocolate (an obsession I seem to share with my fellow Deb Mia), my need to…

Saturday, October 21, 2006

3 comments

1 2