Packing

I’m finally getting caught up after two trips and a week of house guests. One of the things that took me longest was unpacking. I dislike unpacking partly because it reminds me of how much stuff I lugged along that I didn’t need … and how many things I forgot to pack and had to buy along the way.

Starting a story is a lot like packing for a trip. What you need depends on where you think you’re going, how long you think you’ll be gone, and what you intend to do while you’re away. If you’re hea...