How to Perfect a Cliché
Eat your breakfast at Café de Flore. Bring your expensive Italian notebook. Order oefs coque with the little toast soldiers. Drink two café noir. Put your copy of Julio Cortazar’s “Hopscotch” on the table in front of you. It’s a hardcover from 1966. You bought it online before you left London and carried it with you on the Eurostar — that is how much you love “Hopscotch.” Do not read it, though. Write a short story on your computer instead, until the battery dies.
Read the rest on FiveChapters.com: http://www.fivechapters.com/how_to_perfect_a_cliche/index_full.php
Katherine Taylor 
I can’t resist being the first to comment. Welcome to Blogtopia! I’ll miss the old website; I thought it was very tastefully designed.
Wow! You’re reading! Quite amazing, really, that there are people out there.
I have blogphobia. But for you, Stephen Parrish, my sole reader, I will make a small effort.
And so will my publicist. She posted the only item on this page. Hi, Megan! Thank you!
By the way, the old web page is still up:
http://www.katherinetaylor.com/home.html
Hello? May I come in to your non-blog? Stephen sent me. Nice banner! I must ask, should I be smoking a Gauloise during my cliche laden petit dejeuner? May I eat a chocolate croissant?
KIM
Ahhh, nice. I could use to fly to Paris to finish my WIP. 🙂 I’d get as much done, LOL!
Welcome to not-blogging!
Hello Kim and thank you for reading the not-blog. It is such a not blog that I haven’t even written anything on it yet. Maybe I will never write anything on it and continue only to comment.
I think smoking Gauloises in cafes might be illegal now in France. I’m not sure.
Also, I’m glad you like my banner. Megan made it. Hi, Megan!
Megan and I have the same username and password, because I am so blog challenged that I don’t know how/don’t have the patience to set up my own.
Hello and welcome to Blogtopia as Stephen puts it. I am one of his avid fans and he turned me onto you so I’ll be here reading alongside him.
I think smoking Gauloises in cafes might be illegal now in France.
What?! If you’re a grizzled old man, stubble on your chin, eyes perpetually half-shut, and you don’t have a Gauloises dangling from your lips, one with at least an inch of ash teetering to fall, YOU COULD BE ARRESTED.
Or so I’ve heard.
Oh my goodness. People read this. It’s sort of horrifying.
I have decided that Blogtopia is like any other place where I’d rather not participate, but sit in the corner and watch everyone else.
However, now that I know you’re all watching me sit in the corner, I will make an effort to be more social.
Any non-blogging friend of Stephen’s…
Don’t feel too pressured. We’re all pretty easily amused here.
Katherine,
You can totally blame Stephen. He’s got us all convinced he’s got excellent taste, so when he says – hey, go check this out – well, we go.
And Katherine with a “K” is my favorite way to spell it, although my sister uses the Hepburn spelling Katharine.
(It’s 3AM here, I’m rambling, sorry)
Anyway, a great place for watching everyone else /is/ at Stephen’s blog, especially when a political debate comes up. 🙂
Hope to see you around!
I will make an effort to be more social.
The alternative is humiliation. It goes like this:
“Whatever happened to that not-blog writer chick?”
“You mean the one who spent her days smoking skinny cigars in French cafes?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. Taylor Somebody.”
“What happened to her is what happens to all not-bloggers.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Did they have a ceremony for her?”
“A not-ceremony, appropriately.”
“Hopefully her not-blogging not-buddies attended.”
“Not likely.”
Bonjour, Katherine, from another “not-blogger.” Well, an infrequent one.
Stephen blabbed about you. He does stuff like that.
Wishing you all the best with your new book.
I can’t wait to see if I get a pretty quilt square for my avatar.
PS I really did smoke Gauloises when I was in Paris.
Welcome to Blogtopia! I, too, was sent by Stephen (he doesn’t know me, but I read his blog so it’s life he sent me).
Good luck.
Ahh Paris, city of my dreams. The place they will find me after I win the lottery—or make that six figure deal!
Welcome to blogville.
(Stephen sent me!)
Oh. I think I have to comment just to see my avatar here. It’s the quilter in me.
Welcome to not-blogging. Hope you not-blog some more!
great short story. the description of andrew’s conversation about the novel going so well along with the kicking of the dog made me laugh.
looked up your name after i finished reading “rules for saying goodbye”. you definitely have a talent for writing.
good luck with the second novel.
Wow. That’s a fucking excellent story.