A week is a long time in the real world and an even longer time in the world of writing. In the space of 7 days, characters can cover burning deserts, climb lofty mountains, and sail across endless oceans. Some characters can even find themselves in the trash bin, because let's face it, if they're not going to pull their weight and do something interesting, it's time to be brave and 'get rid of them'. I haven't done anything quite so drastic this week but I've been close. I've wanted to scratch my red pen through pages and pages. But I've stopped myself because I don't think what I've written is necessarily 'bad', it just needs fine tuning. My urge to shred it all is a dramatic way of coping with a frustrating week - school problems, soccer team problems, not to mention this weather is driving me nuts. So - my coping mechanisms this week have been to avoid the computer, because I don't want to delete something in a temper tantrum, eat lots of chocolate, and immerse myself in a bit of research. Reading has a wonderful way of soothing the savage beast. Now - I know someone else said that, and it wasn't about reading, but I still think it's pretty apt.