Write Drunk, Edit Sober

Pet Names Are A Persistant Remnant of Childhood

“Pet names are a persistant remnant of childhood, a reminder that life is not always so serious, so formal, so complicated. They are a reminder, too, that one is not all things to all people.”
—Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake

Number one, author Jhumpa Lahiri is fine. Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way …

I introduce myself to damn near everyone as “Jay Fingers.” It’s a college nickname that stuck, and it’s actually served to help me stand out in . While some people do ask if it’s my real name, most realize right away that it’s just a cute little sobriquet and are generally unperturbed by it. There is a small contingent of people, however, who will scoff upon hearing me addressed as “Fingers.” I’ll never forget the young woman who, after I’d be introduced to her by my nickname, sucked her teeth and said, “Well, if that’s what you want to be called.”

She was then immediately scolded by her friends. You see, I was promoting a party and actually hooking them up; they were afraid I would take the insult to heart and leave them standing outside the velvet rope. Luckily, I am not that thin-skinned.

Am I Really A Writer?

Quote: “Anyone Can Become A Writer”

“Anyone can become a writer. The trick is staying a writer.”
—Harlan Ellison, Writer

Quote: Writing Is A Fairly Lonely Business

“Writing is a fairly lonely business unless you invite people in to watch you do it, which is often distracting.”
—Marc Lawrence, Writer/Director

Quote: A Writer’s Job Is To Imagine Everything So Personally

“A writer’s job is to imagine everything so personally that the fiction is as vivid as memories.”
—John Irving (Born 1942), Novelist

Quote: The Artist Is Nothing Without The Gift

“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.”
—Emile Zola, (1840-1902) playwright, novelist