Why does creativity only spark when it’s the middle of the night and I’m alone? I set up sections during my day, small spots of quiet where I can curl up in front of my computer and let these words pour forth. But, I sit here and am distracted as a cat, my attention flicking backContinueContinue reading “Salem”
Author Archives: Ren Martinez
There’s this terrible thing that happens when you get a job. You get tired. After 8 hours of mindless grinding, getting home and having the will to write seems nigh impossible. Any inch of creativity has been snipped short; all motivation dried up and cracked like a salted desert. So, it becomes another evening ofContinueContinue reading
Atrophy
It’s been a month. More than a month, actually. What’s terrifying is that, when I forget to write, it’s like a flower wilting. It’s not just forgotten; it becomes desiccated from disuse. It curls up and shrivels and it becomes that much harder to begin again. Like a paralyzed limb succumbing to muscular atrophy. IContinueContinue reading “Atrophy”
To Cut (Synonym: To Carve)
There’s something to be said about a routine. I’ve been going through some significant life changes as of recent (see previous post for details) and that’s seriously knocked me off my writing schedule. I used to have an hour blocked out every day to try and get these words out. Now, between work and livingContinueContinue reading “To Cut (Synonym: To Carve)”
Jumping Back In
It’s been some time since I’ve written anything (my sincerest apologies). My life has been a whirlwind of change the past month or so, and it’s been making it difficult to carve out a time to sleep, much less write. I am no longer in Denver. I have officially said my farewells to the MileContinueContinue reading “Jumping Back In”
Another Hope Metaphor
So, those two possibilities of representation turned into two more rejections. Sigh. I know that’s the reality of things. I’m not surprised or shocked and I’m certainly not angry. It’s a simple brush of resignation, a gray-stained sense of acknowledgement, before it’s pushed away. It’s something I’ve felt many times at this point, but everyContinueContinue reading “Another Hope Metaphor”
The Definition of Resolution
res·o·lute ˈrezəˌlo͞ot/ adjective admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering. “she was resolute and unswerving” I have never been interested in New Year’s resolutions. They always seemed like empty promises that were broken by the month’s end. They always seem to have something to do with losing weight or eating less dessert, and very little about beingContinueContinue reading “The Definition of Resolution”
Two Pearls
I have two memories about my first boyfriend that I keep. Two pearls, bright and unsullied, tucked away where they cannot be darkened by poison. It’s prom night. I’m wearing a bright pink gown that my friend M let me borrow, something much girlier than I would normally wear. M and L are juniors, andContinueContinue reading “Two Pearls”
The Beautiful Masochism
Writing is painful. It’s like dragging yourself across hot coals or yanking at thorned vines interlaced in your skin. It’s flaying your soul open and poking at mottled bruises to remember what the ache feels like. It’s staring at a computer screen or blank sheet of notebook paper and seeing the story unfold in yourContinueContinue reading “The Beautiful Masochism”
Undertow
I seem to be slipping into grayspace. The kind of place where I fall into stories that aren’t my own only to realize that hours have passed. Where I make tea and my first sip is warm and sweet and the second is stale and cold. I sit down at the computer and stare atContinueContinue reading “Undertow”
Ren Martinez 