Superstition

If you've got an irrational fear of Friday the 13th (the calendar day, not the movie), then you are a paraskevidekatriaphobe. Tricky little tongue twister, innit? What's worse, if you can actually pronounce paraskevidekatriaphobe and say it aloud, it acts as a curse, and you are doomed to a lifetime of misfortune on the year's most unluckiest day. That last bit's not really true. Or maybe it is. Come on, say it with me: para - skevi - deka - tria - phobe. Dammit, the mirror's just broke.

Are you superstitious? Writers are a quirky bunch at the best of times so there are plenty of signs and defining moments that we like to assume are designed with us in mind, good or bad. Destiny, fate, karma, what goes around, and all that; I think we all pretty much subscribe to some sort of superstitious point-of-view, regardless of faith or belief in the supernatural.

I love all things supernatural, especially in film and TV (a lot of my scripts will have a supernatural edge), but I have long since veered from any real belief of things that go bump in the night. When I was a kid, Friday the 13th and Halloween (again, the calendar days, not the movies, although they had their moments) used to scare the bejesus out of me. Now, not so much. In fact, I like to think of Friday the 13th as a lucky day and ever since I've adopted this view, it comes and goes with little fuss, and sometimes it can really be lucky, depending on what I'm up to. But I certainly don't cower indoors with fear, or refuse to work, or pick up the phone, or whatever. Of course, by saying all this, I'm probably going to have one of the most unluckiest days of my life. That's superstitious thinking, isn't it?

If you're staying indoors today, refusing to let Lady Luck have her wicked way with you, then you might want to curl up with this link: "100 Inspirational Posts to Make You a Better Writer". It's even broken down into sections: technique, productivity, mistakes, tips, etc, and it's so useful, it's practically research. Not procrastinating. Or avoiding Friday the 13th. Have fun!