My colleagues assure me that the best way to learn how to write is to, well... write. And read. Don't forget to read. Good advice on both fronts. As far as the writing goes, "staying in the chair" is my challenge. I can blast out from the gate in a flurry of frenetic keystrokes only to stop abruptly to get a cup of coffee, change laundry, or open the mail. When I give in to this impulse, I'm usually away from the chair for at least an hour. By the time I get back, my characters are taking a nap.

 When it comes to reading, I'm challenged in a completely different way.  I tend to get stuck in: "Look! Something shiny!" I'm a slow reader because I read for story structure, music, and the odd find. For example, I read Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood, last year. Early in the book I shouted to my husband, "Hey, this sentence has 17 syllables in it. That's a type of Haiku." You can see where this might lead. Quirks aside, I write and read every day. Almost every day. I try.