In my second official act of 2015, I committed to committing some words to this space, which has sat waiting for some months now, nagging me to write … I’m not sure what. But as editors know, and writers often forget, the simple act of writing is usually what it takes to figure out what to write.

I’ve read studies that claim a direct connection between the movement involved in writing and the part of the brain that writes. I know I think differently – with more clarity, mindfulness and memory – with a pen in my hand and paper to hold my scribbles. And I have anxious memories of sitting at my keyboard in the newsroom, facing deadline with a crowded mind and blank computer screen, and finally just letting my fingers go – “Mary had a little lamb.” “The quick brown fox jumped over some kind of fence.” “This is a story about…” – until those restless fingers found a rhythm that cornered my mind and the letters gave shape to precise words that formed meaningful sentences that became the path through my thicket of notes and quotes and factoids to reveal a true story.

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