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Abbey Cleland Lopez

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Instagram post 17928286684046364 An extra memorable way to end one of the finest, most exciting days of this writer's life (thus far -- hang tight, my peeps). 🤩 Mad props to my Ty (@mr.cleland ) for the rad scissorwork.
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#writer #transformation #spontaneous #writeon #abbeyclelandlopez #littlevictories #bigideas #writerslife #womanwriter #writinglife #ilovela

An extra memorable way to end one of the finest, most exciting days of this writer's life (thus far -- hang tight, my peeps). 🤩 Mad props to my Ty (@mr.cleland ) for the rad scissorwork.
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#writer #transformation #spontaneous #writeon #abbeyclelandlopez #littlevictories #bigideas #writerslife #womanwriter #writinglife #ilovela
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Instagram post 17848265846287164 I live in a house. I am someone's wife. And occasionally, when Anthony works overnight, and the children are finally asleep, and the words begin to swim on the page, alerting me I may begin doing more harm than good, I sneak up to the guestroom and turn on Fiona or Tori or Tracy or Joni or Amy or Carly and end up looking something like this. I've never identified as a "housewife," but I'm thinking it's reasonable that these components [ house + wife + occasional throwback beauty habit ] fit me squarely in this demo, this demo that OUR White House's worst-ever tenant assumes supports his racist policy. But here's the thing, the "housewives" I know, you know, married women in houses who may also occasionally wear curlers -- this must be the definition, right? I'll ask Betty Friedan and Matthew Weiner later -- we are ambitious, critical-thinking, open-minded, big-hearted types with soft bellies and sharp talons. We read. We analyze. We feel. We DO. We contribute more value to the people in our care the first hour of any given morning than he has all term, and likely all his life. We don't like messes because we are the ones who do the picking up. What a monstrous deplorable mess this insecure toddler has made. I've always loved witches, in part because of their dope wheels (🧹), but now I'm thinking it's a powerful symbol witches and housewives share. I, generally and specifically, LOVE people and LOATHE politics. Because of this very dilemma, November can't come soon enough. Brooms up, ladies. 🧹🏛🧹
#broomsup #womenwritersofinstagram #whenweallvote #witchesunite #voteearly #abbeyclelandlopez #peacelovevote #writinglife #614artist #votingmatters #votevotevote

I live in a house. I am someone's wife. And occasionally, when Anthony works overnight, and the children are finally asleep, and the words begin to swim on the page, alerting me I may begin doing more harm than good, I sneak up to the guestroom and turn on Fiona or Tori or Tracy or Joni or Amy or Carly and end up looking something like this. I've never identified as a "housewife," but I'm thinking it's reasonable that these components [ house + wife + occasional throwback beauty habit ] fit me squarely in this demo, this demo that OUR White House's worst-ever tenant assumes supports his racist policy. But here's the thing, the "housewives" I know, you know, married women in houses who may also occasionally wear curlers -- this must be the definition, right? I'll ask Betty Friedan and Matthew Weiner later -- we are ambitious, critical-thinking, open-minded, big-hearted types with soft bellies and sharp talons. We read. We analyze. We feel. We DO. We contribute more value to the people in our care the first hour of any given morning than he has all term, and likely all his life. We don't like messes because we are the ones who do the picking up. What a monstrous deplorable mess this insecure toddler has made. I've always loved witches, in part because of their dope wheels (🧹), but now I'm thinking it's a powerful symbol witches and housewives share. I, generally and specifically, LOVE people and LOATHE politics. Because of this very dilemma, November can't come soon enough. Brooms up, ladies. 🧹🏛🧹
#broomsup #womenwritersofinstagram #whenweallvote #witchesunite #voteearly #abbeyclelandlopez #peacelovevote #writinglife #614artist #votingmatters #votevotevote
...

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Instagram post 17845735305144210 Seventeen years ago today, during an also damp, unseasonably warm February, we fell in love. ("Fell" implies it was unintentional; "fell" is accurate.) 

We had been very good friends for two years, happy roommates for three months, and roommates with ricocheting sexual tension for several torturous weeks. Those days, every time our eyes locked, in the kitchen, on the couch, after your quick shower, before my long shower, you had me biting my lip. Literally.

It occurred to me that we were in love in the early afternoon. I felt defeated (which is also to say that I was a novice writer). When you returned home from Prior Library, you took one look at me, grabbed your keys, and drove me to a playground to swing. It's hard to feel defeated on a swing, but especially if you're talking to a boy who studies relentlessly, turns beautiful double plays, and cares deeply about your (often fictional) obstacles.

I think it occurred to you that we were in love later that evening. It was an even safer setting -- also public, chaperoned by all of our friends -- but I'm very flirty in bowling alleys. I always expect I'll be a much better bowler than I've ever been. There are never enough seats. Had there been enough seats, I would've still found your knee.

Like most of life's very best, purest things, it began that wholesomely. A soggy playground, a smoky bowling alley, but the tension.... The tension landed us in a fantastic, and fantastically distressing predicament.

I had big sparkly plans. You had heavy serious anchors. We'd live 2,300 miles apart for years, until finally, thank God, thank you, thank me, we wouldn't.

Seventeen years ago today, during an also damp, unseasonably warm February, we fell in love. ("Fell" implies it was unintentional; "fell" is accurate.)

We had been very good friends for two years, happy roommates for three months, and roommates with ricocheting sexual tension for several torturous weeks. Those days, every time our eyes locked, in the kitchen, on the couch, after your quick shower, before my long shower, you had me biting my lip. Literally.

It occurred to me that we were in love in the early afternoon. I felt defeated (which is also to say that I was a novice writer). When you returned home from Prior Library, you took one look at me, grabbed your keys, and drove me to a playground to swing. It's hard to feel defeated on a swing, but especially if you're talking to a boy who studies relentlessly, turns beautiful double plays, and cares deeply about your (often fictional) obstacles.

I think it occurred to you that we were in love later that evening. It was an even safer setting -- also public, chaperoned by all of our friends -- but I'm very flirty in bowling alleys. I always expect I'll be a much better bowler than I've ever been. There are never enough seats. Had there been enough seats, I would've still found your knee.

Like most of life's very best, purest things, it began that wholesomely. A soggy playground, a smoky bowling alley, but the tension.... The tension landed us in a fantastic, and fantastically distressing predicament.

I had big sparkly plans. You had heavy serious anchors. We'd live 2,300 miles apart for years, until finally, thank God, thank you, thank me, we wouldn't.
...

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Instagram post 17950231483320066 So maybe you're a writer and you think you have friends. Here's how to check. Tell them you're on deadline and the electricity is out in your office. If they hand over the keys to their home without hesitation, congratulations! You have the best friend a writer can ever, ever have. Treat them like gold, acknowledge them in print when possible, and resist filling your Yeti with their high-end booze. (At least until you've hit "send.") @slipkin22 💋#abbeyclelandlopez

So maybe you're a writer and you think you have friends. Here's how to check. Tell them you're on deadline and the electricity is out in your office. If they hand over the keys to their home without hesitation, congratulations! You have the best friend a writer can ever, ever have. Treat them like gold, acknowledge them in print when possible, and resist filling your Yeti with their high-end booze. (At least until you've hit "send.") @slipkin22 💋#abbeyclelandlopez ...

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Instagram post 18025725175945181 The best, most satisfying stretch happens at 5:40am when you're at your desk downstairs and you're pulled from the page by the sound of his alarm upstairs.

In a moment, he blindly pats his nightstand, hushing it, then discovers you never joined him.

If you were going to sleep, you would've shown up, but showing up there means not showing up here.

(You did consider waking him, you were so awake around 2:45, and there are such lovely things to do when you two are so awake and the children are so asleep, but he has a Real Job. Let the man sleep.)

The wee hours go by quickly whether you work or sleep or (a)rouse a man who needs sleep. Besides, you talked such a big talk earlier.

"I'm going to wrestle it into submission," you said as you found your slippers. He was brushing his teeth as you doubled-down, "I bet it's shiny and brilliant by 2."

But it wasn't. How could it? You didn't begin properly until 10:40. (That wasn't your fault. You have children, and 66 unread emails. You should've waited until the sludge reached 666. That's what it is, anyway.)

Around 1, you thought about disarming the house alarm in order to break out the good ice cream from the garage freezer.

Too much work.

Just do The Work. How is this not a Real Job? OF COURSE it is.

So you do it, the work. You even finish the fucking thing! (Yes. Again. No one told you that writing meant finishing the same thing several times, but now it's REAL and GREAT, so who cares?!)

You hit "send" fifteen seconds before his alarm sounds, then, and only then, you stretch. 

You like how "stretch" works for a vague duration of time, and to extend one's self.

Keep extending yourself, you think. Keep stretching. 

It never feels this good after something easy.

The best, most satisfying stretch happens at 5:40am when you're at your desk downstairs and you're pulled from the page by the sound of his alarm upstairs.

In a moment, he blindly pats his nightstand, hushing it, then discovers you never joined him.

If you were going to sleep, you would've shown up, but showing up there means not showing up here.

(You did consider waking him, you were so awake around 2:45, and there are such lovely things to do when you two are so awake and the children are so asleep, but he has a Real Job. Let the man sleep.)

The wee hours go by quickly whether you work or sleep or (a)rouse a man who needs sleep. Besides, you talked such a big talk earlier.

"I'm going to wrestle it into submission," you said as you found your slippers. He was brushing his teeth as you doubled-down, "I bet it's shiny and brilliant by 2."

But it wasn't. How could it? You didn't begin properly until 10:40. (That wasn't your fault. You have children, and 66 unread emails. You should've waited until the sludge reached 666. That's what it is, anyway.)

Around 1, you thought about disarming the house alarm in order to break out the good ice cream from the garage freezer.

Too much work.

Just do The Work. How is this not a Real Job? OF COURSE it is.

So you do it, the work. You even finish the fucking thing! (Yes. Again. No one told you that writing meant finishing the same thing several times, but now it's REAL and GREAT, so who cares?!)

You hit "send" fifteen seconds before his alarm sounds, then, and only then, you stretch.

You like how "stretch" works for a vague duration of time, and to extend one's self.

Keep extending yourself, you think. Keep stretching.

It never feels this good after something easy.
...

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Instagram post 18281160811177876 In just eight quick years, you, too, can become a creative and productive morning person!

(Factors galore, but I swear, that's actually how long it took for me to achieve quality work before 4pm. Can anyone relate?! 🌞🤟🏼)

Reformed Night 🦉 Support Group in the works....

In just eight quick years, you, too, can become a creative and productive morning person!

(Factors galore, but I swear, that's actually how long it took for me to achieve quality work before 4pm. Can anyone relate?! 🌞🤟🏼)

Reformed Night 🦉 Support Group in the works....
...

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Recent Work

  • A Fictional Character Cut Off Eleven Inches of My Hair
  • Write Well or Perish
  • Hunting for HILPOs
  • Writing, Baseball, and Objective Correlative
  • On taking care

©2019 Abbey Cleland Lopez | W R I T E R