J.G. Chayko

Freewriting is a wonderful tool. Freewriting is all about coming to the page and just unloading thoughts, images, ideas, and yes, even gibberish. When I am caught between projects or feeling uninspired, I freewrite. I just open a page on my computer, or pick up a pen and a notebook, and I write whatever comes…

A writer’s life is never private. Every story, every poem, even a sentence can reveal a little piece of the author’s past or present. Stories erupt from circumstance, experience and observation. Every occurrence, feeling or situation their character (or characters) undergo, evolve from some element of the author’s life. The wooded park where the two…

I sit in at a table in the coffee shop, reach into my bag and pull out a couple of soft notebooks, a blue pen, a red pen and paper copies of projects to edit. I lay out my materials, meticulously placing them in strategic places where I can work comfortably and keep them out…

My suitcase lies open on my bed. I stare down at a cluster of clothes, toiletries and souvenirs. I rummage through my bag, clearing out the contents, emptying every pocket and every corner in preparation for my next trip. As I sort through everything, it occurs to me that the writer me is like an…

I board the bus in the morning, and make my way down the aisle to an open seat. I sit for a few minutes gathering the thoughts buzzing in my head, and then I turn my attention to the other passengers. There are people reading, listening to music or frantically texting on their phones. I…

I remove my new corkboard from its packaging, inhaling the fresh scent of the wood frame that encircles its spongy core. I hang it on the wall over my desk and run my fingertips over its ragged surface. I gently cover its tan backdrop with acceptance letters, rejections and editor’s notes. It produces a colorful…

When the words don’t come, I sit and stare at the lighted screen; I play with my music on my computer, moving folders around like a game of musical chairs, listening to songs that usually hide in the background while I write; I stare at books on my bookshelf; I pick up reference books and…

My lovely Dictionary and Thesaurus – you are the writer’s loyal friends. You always know exactly what to say and are eager to help me discover that picture-perfect adjective, the ideal verb or that perfect noun. When I am lost on my journey, you help me find the right path. Your colorful language invigorates my…

It’s raining outside; the dampness seeps into my apartment. I have been sitting for two hours. The heat from my computer soothes the tips of my frozen fingers as they dance over the keyboard. This is the inactivity of writing, when the only blood flowing is the blood in your fingers as they incessantly type…