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I zoomed down to Eugene, Oregon on Thursday after a very long, hard day, and gave what I hope was a rousing talk on the future of publishing.

While I was there, I heard a lot of inspiring stories about folks pursuing their own publishing projects. So I began the talk by encouraging each writer in the room to realize that publishing is not outside of us, it’s inside of us.

Once we located the nexus of the future of publishing, it became a lot easier to discuss the responsibilities that come with writer ownership. It also became apparent that the biggest thing stopping most of us from succeeding in the new publishing climate is fear.

The biggest fear is that a reputable agent and publishing house won’t want to work with us in the future if we are already successful on our own.

I don’t want to make fun of this idea, because I have experienced it as well, and trust me, it is strong and insidious.

There are a lot of responsibilities that come with taking ownership of your writing career, instead of waiting to be discovered. They fall loosely into the following skill sets:

  • Craft/Quality of writing
  • Selling/Pitching your words
  • Specializing/Leaning into your strengths
  • Self-promotion/Helping others understand what you offer
  • Career growth/How to grow and maintain your career over the years

When you work ALL your writing career muscles, you get strong enough to ride the ups and downs that come part and parcel with a writing career.

There is no finish line. You can run for it, but you’ll never cross it until the day you stop writing. There are plenty of skills to master, and people who don’t succeed or give up part way, tend to do so because they don’t deepen their skills.

If  you want the reward that comes from doing good work every day, I hope you will pick up a copy of my latest book, The Writer’s Workout, 366 Tips, Tasks & Techniques From Your Writing Career Coach. LINK I detail advice and inspiration that applies to all the skills writers are going to need to have for a publishing future that is being born as I type this blog post.

Many people thanked me on their way out of the talk. They said I had given them new hope about the future of publishing that does not necessarily rule out the old ways of publishing but simply expands writers’ options.

I think we experience a surge of hope every time we remember that the future of anything is in our hands. We can have a positive impact on that future of publishing based on how we respond to the cards we have been dealt today. We can create a win-win-win future.

But only if we take responsibility. Only if we take charge. Only if we produce our own success.

Here are the links I promised to post:

And here are the links to my classes, books, and e-books that folks asked about.

Thanks for coming, folks! Hope our paths cross again soon.

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I receive a steady stream of compliments and praise about the three books I have written for Writer’s Digest Books. They don’t all make it to Amazon reviews, but some of them do.

Here are some of the latest from Amazon:

About Writer Mama, How To Raise A Writing Career Alongside Your Kids:

As a budding freelance writer and a working mother of two, I rarely have the opportunity to read a book from cover to cover. But I made time! I was so enthralled that I read Writer Mama from cover to cover in one sitting, in one evening. ~ Laura R P Read the rest

Christina Katz makes art out of words, and and it shines in this how-to manual for writer mamas. ~ delighted2write Read the rest

If you need more convincing, how about this? Recently, I was at a workshop led by a literary agent who told the audience that Writer Mama was one of the best resources available for aspiring writers, mothers or otherwise.  ~ Shannon Read the rest

People tell me that they love Writer Mama just about every day. I poured everything I had to offer into my first book and it’s very gratifying that the deep respect I feel for hardworking mom writers, comes back to me in the form of praise and appreciation.

If you are also a Writer Mama fan, and you have not yet posted a review, I’d love it if you would! But like I always say, no pressure.

My two article-writing classes for mom writers, Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff and 60 Ways To Flex Your Content & Prosper in Your Niche, begin in a few weeks. Discounts for returning students and Dream Teamers.

Hope to work with you soon!

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And The Recipient Of The Writer Mama Scholarship Is…

Jennifer Johnson!

I look forward to working with you in Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff, which starts in just a few short weeks on October 24th.

Thanks to EVERYONE who applied! Choosing scholarship recipients is  extremely difficult because I always receive many applications from worthy writers. And this time around was no exception. (Several people could have been awarded a scholarship this time and it was tough to choose just one.)

Watch this blog, christinakatz.com and/or subscribe to The Prosperous Writer e-zine for all the details on future offers. I will be offering one scholarship for each Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff class session.

If you have not checked out my classes, you can learn more on the “Register” page. I am still accepting students for the October 24th Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff class but hurry! The class is filling up, so don’t wait! Space is limited.

Congratulations again, Jennifer. I look forward to working with you!

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“The Writer’s Workout: Whip Your Literary Ambitions Into Shape” Presented by Christina Katz For Willamette Writers Mid-Valley Branch

Learn about and explore the 5 workouts that will stretch your mind and inspire your bottom line. You’ll learn…

  • How to write better
  • How to pitch yourself better
  • How to find your specialties
  • How to grow your creative career over the years
  • Self-promotion strategies every writer must master

Bring paper or your laptop, and come ready to brainstorm!

Christina Katz is author of The Writer’s Workout, Get Known Before the Book Deal, and Writer Mama. A “gentle taskmaster” over the past decade to hundreds, Christina’s students go from unpublished to published, build professional writing career skills, and increase their creative confidence over time.

Learn more at The Mid-Valley Willamette Writers Blog

About The Monthly Mid-Valley Chapter Meetings & Speaker Series

Meeting Date & Schedule
  • First Thursday of the month (unless it conflicts with a holiday, usually Sept. and/or Jan.) from September-May (no meetings in the summer)
  • 6:30-7:00 p.m., Social Time and Refreshments
  • 7:00-7:15 p.m., News, Upcoming Events and Member Announcements
  • 7:15-8:30 p.m., Speaker
  • 8:30-9:00 p.m., Questions and Book Signing
Cost

Chapters meetings are free to members of Willamette Writers and full-time college students, suggested $10 donation for non-members.

Meeting Location

Unless noted otherwise, all meetings are held at Tsunami Books, 2585 Willamette St., Eugene, OR 97405 (Find it on Google Maps)

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Happy Harvest, Writers! May You Write & Prosper!

Tomorrow, on the harvest moon, I will celebrate the thirteen years of consistent hard writing and eleven and a half years of training other writers. In the process, I have achieved humble and satisfying results.

When others look at what I have accomplished, they might think what I have done has been simple or easy or quick.

But you know how I did it, writers?

I simply stayed focused and tackled the next most important thing. I have written through emotional upsets, massive inconveniences, major disappointments, political unrest, economic turmoil, consistently scolding voices, and while juggling my own limitations and shortcomings with my personal power and natural strengths.

No matter what happens, I just keep writing. I keep writing. And writing. And writing.

And if the world ended tomorrow, you know what I would do?

I would keep writing.

Happy harvest, writers. I hope you keep writing.

~ Photo by stonebird

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Are you a mom, who would love to take the Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff Class that starts October 24th, but you would not otherwise be able to afford it?

Then you qualify for The Writer Mama Scholarship.

The application process for the next available scholarship for Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff Class begins today! I am accepting applications until Sunday, September 30th at midnight.

One full scholarship is granted each time the class is held, five times per year. Please read this post  completely and double-check your application before submitting. The recipient will be announced on Monday, October 1st in this blog.

Please feel free to spread the word about the scholarship, even if you do not intend to apply. This is a full scholarship. The recipient commits to participating fully in the class and delivering all six assignments on time.

Please do not apply if you cannot make the commitment to participate in the class, which involves reading the weekly workbook, completing your assignments, and learning from your classmates work. (To learn about what you will get out of the class, please read the full class description.)

No additional time or special coaching is offered with the scholarship. It’s up to the scholarship recipient to make the most of the class.

Please note that this is a scholarship, not a giveaway. This scholarship is only for moms and is offered by class instructor, Christina Katz (that’s me).

One scholarship is available per WPSS class. The scholarship is not transferable if you fail to complete the class. The scholarship is also not transferable in the case of illness, family emergencies, a move, etc. If you have already paid for the class, you do not qualify for the scholarship. If you have already taken the class, you also do not qualify.

What is written in your application is private and your personal information will never be shared or sold beyond announcing the name of the recipient. The only way to qualify is to apply each time. No one else will view your application.

The application questions are below. Copy and paste them into a Microsoft Word document (to take the class you must be able to create and read Microsoft Word documents—no exceptions). Attach your application as a Word doc to your e-mail. Please answer each question concisely and completely.

Send your application to: “christina at christinakatz dot com” – this the only email address for the scholarship. If you do not receive the scholarship, save your application for future scholarships and re-apply. Always add in your most current publication credits, since they are important. Put “WPSS Scholarship Application” in the subject line.

The scholarship recipient will be chosen based on the following criteria: demonstrated effort, need, and enthusiasm. The most important consideration is demonstrated past effort, so please don’t skimp on details of your past writing efforts. Applications accepted from U.S. residents only at this time.

Please Note: The Writer Mama Scholarship is only for moms who legitimately cannot afford class tuition for whatever reason. So if you work at home, earn money, receive money, or your spouse or partner earns enough money for you to afford the class, please expect to regular pay  price. My classes are kept affordable specifically so moms can afford them!

To register for the class as a non-scholarship candidate, please visit the registration page. Space in the class is limited.

Here’s the application:

[Copy and paste the following application form into a Word doc >>>]

Name

Address

Email

Phone

Have you read the book, Writer Mama? How about my other books?

How long have you been reading my blog(s)?

What version of Microsoft Word software are you currently using?

Have you applied for The Writer Mama Scholarship before?

Write a short response to each of the following questions:

  1. Please write one short paragraph about why you want to take the class, Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff.
  2. Please list by publication name and date only, any publication credits you’ve accumulated thus far. Briefly list any other experience you think is relevant.
  3. Please briefly state why you are unable to afford the tuition for the class at this time (see note below).

[<<<Stop copying this application form]

Thanks for applying for The Writer Mama Scholarship!

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Levels Of Content & What They Really Mean

I found a sticky note in an old research folder that describes levels of content as:

  • Information
  • Knowledge
  • Wisdom

I like this idea because it hints at the truth that just because you work with words, this does not mean that everything you write is one level of quality. You might be writing gibberish. You might be ranting and raving. But it takes a disciplined mind to gather and arrange information in a way that makes that information helpful to others. It takes time and understanding for that information to become knowledge, which is the beginning of expertise. And wisdom only comes to those who bring humanity into the content equation.

You can have all the information in the world and still be ineffective. You can even have knowledge and not be genuinely helpful to others. But once you have wisdom, this is where what you know and how you use it becomes win-win-win. And at that point, you have become wise indeed.

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What’s Your Proudest Piece of Writing? Here’s Mine

The folks who are in my most advanced Dream Team have built up substantial bodies of paid written and published work.

At some point, when you have been writing for a long time, you develop a sense of your best piece of work to date.

I say “to date” because, naturally, this changes the longer you write.

Even if a piece is not our proudest, sometimes the memory of writing it can stay with us for a long time.

But the label “proudest” piece of writing is significant in and of itself because it typically represents a breakthrough of some kind.

My proudest piece of writing to date would have to be the article I wrote for the March/April issue of Writer’s Digest magazine called, “50 Ways To Grow Your Platform in 5 Minutes A Day.”

This article was posted on WritersDigest.com at the tail end of 2011 and it has been very well received both by readers of the magazine, online readers, and professional colleagues. The piece was also republished in part on F+W’s Digital Book World site.

The piece I am most proud of is often improperly cited online in blogs. You will often see the article attributed to “Writer’s Digest” without my name as the author. I suppose folks who find it and like it are so excited about sharing it that they don’t take the time to notice who wrote it, which is forgivable, but something I still need to address. However, in case there is any confusion, the piece was written by me on an assignment for Writer’s Digest magazine.

The reason that this article was a breakthrough I am particularly proud of is because it was the first time an article I wrote for Writer’s Digest Magazine was based primarily on my professional expertise and not primarily on research and quotes from other writers. I used as many outside resources as made sense, but it was also important to me not to overwhelm the reader with extraneous information.

In writing the piece, I gathered up all of the expertise and experience I had accumulated up to that point and wrote the most helpful piece for readers that I possibly could. Naturally, I did the same thing in writing all three of my books for Writer’s Digest. But in this particular article, I got to go much deeper on one specific topic than I even usually have the opportunity to do in my books.

Happily, the pride that I take in this article was echoed by a reader of the magazine in a message she wrote to the editor:

I just read the March/April 2011 issue and am compelled to send my gratitude to Christina Katz. Her article “50 Simple Ways to Build Your Platform in 5 Minutes a Day” was so specific and helpful, I was moved to act right away. She saved me hours of research in a field that is pretty foreign to me.  ~ Karen Ashley, July/August 2011 Writer’s Digest ReaderMail

I feel that this article is one of the best and most helpful pieces I’ve written to date. This is a good feeling and one I am happy to share with all of you. I hope you will share your proudest piece of work with the world, as well. Consider this your invitation.

And now I’m wondering, what will my next proudest piece of writing be? Will I be working on it today? Maybe.

If I put that level of commitment into every piece I write, I just might break through to a new level today.

And if you put that level of commitment into your work, you just might break through, too.

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I kept an article about Joyce Carol Oates from an April 16, 2006 issue of The Oregonian by Jeff Baker. Here’s some quotes I liked. See what you think!

Young writers need to know that writing is work. It’s not something that can be done in a few hours. It takes much longer than that. You have to stay with it. When I look at something I wrote, I remember the trouble I had writing it.

I don’t write in any kind of fever. Not at all. A story that is 15 pages long is written paragraph by paragraph, scene by scene. I might start with the ending and work my way back to the beginning. It’s more like a mosaic, pieced together. When it’s working right, a story has a certain fluidity. That’s my ideal, to move it along like a stream.

I always get questions about my schedule and how productive I am. People think I’m productive, but I work so hard and so slowly. Anybody who worked 10 to 12 hours could be as productive, any normal, sane person. I can concentrate for that long because I have to, because I want to get it done.

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Newly Updated! 260 Movies About Writers & The Writing Life

This list is an ongoing work in progress. I update it once a year in August. [Only for some reason, this year, I had to update it three times to get it right.] Thanks to everyone who pitched in this time around and in the past. Special thanks to my husband, Jason Katz, for helping me create the original list, which has now been updated twice.

If you know of any films about writers and the writing life that you think should be added to the list but you don’t see here, feel free to mention them on the home page for this list. I will update the list again in August of 2013.

Selection parameters:

  • A main character in the film must be a writer. No ensembles in this list unless writing is central to the storyline.
  • Only cinema movies are included. No TV movies.
  • Only print journalism. No broadcast journalism in this list. Screenwriting and TV writing are both represented. Bloggers are included.
  • Biographies or biopics about writers are listed. No documentaries are included.
  • No academics as central characters, unless the character is a novelist or some other type of writer.
  • Diaries are included, if the diary is part of the central part of the story.
  • If a film is about a writer but is obscure or very unknown it may have been intentionally excluded.
  • Films are listed in chronological order by release year.
  • If a movie was re-released, then it is listed by its most recent release date.

Enjoy!

1. Barrets of Wimpole St. (1934)
2. It Happened One Night (1934)
3. His Girl Friday (1940)
4. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
5. Foreign Correspondent (1940)
6. Woman of the Year (1942)
7. Old Acquaintance (1943)
8. The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944)
9. It Happened Tomorrow (1944)
10. The Lost Weekend (1945)
11. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
12. The Story of G.I. Joe (1945)
13. I Remember Mama (1948)
14. Call Northside 777 (1948)
15. The Third Man (1949)
16. In a Lonely Place (1950)
17. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
18. Orpheus (1950)
19. Ace in the Hole (1951)
20. Hans Christian Andersen (1952)
21. A Face In The Crowd (1957)
22. Some Came Running (1958)
23. Teacher’s Pet (1958)
24. The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)
25. La Dolce Vita (1960)
26. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
27. Through A Glass Darkly (1961)
28. The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962)
29. Jules and Jim (1962)
30. 8 ½ (1963)
31. Youngblood Hawke (1964)
32. Color of Pomegranates (1968)
33. The Odd Couple (1968)
34. Man of La Mancha (1972)
35. Sleuth (1972)
36. The Way We Were (1973)
37. Front Page (1974, originally 1931)
38. All the Presidents Men (1976)
39. The Front (1976)
40. Julia (1977)
41. Superman (1978)
42. Stevie (1978)
43. My Brilliant Career (1979)
44. Heart Beat (1980)
45. Seems Like Old Times (1980)
46. The Shining (1980)
47. Somewhere in Time (1980)
48. Reds (1981)
49. Rich & Famous (1981)
50. Priest of Love (1981)
51. The World According to Garp (1982)
52. Deathtrap (1982)
53. Author! Author! (1982)
54. My Favorite Year (1982)
55. Missing (1982)
56. Sophie’s Choice (1982)
57. The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
58. Cross Creek (1983)
59. American Dreamer (1984)
60. Romancing The Stone (1984)
61. Irreconcilable Differences (1984)
62. Just One of the Guys (1985)
63. Out of Africa (1985)
64. Mishima: A Life in 4 Chapters (1985)
65. Heartburn (1986)
66. Stand By Me (1986)
67. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
68. 84 Charing Cross Road (1986)
69. The Singing Detective (1986)
70. Throw Mama From the Train (1987)
71. Barfly (1987)
72. Waiting for the Moon (1987)
73. Prick Up Your Ears (1987)
74. Best Seller (1987)
75. Rowing With the Wind (1988)
76. Funny Farm (1988)
77. The Accidental Tourist (1988)
78. Da (1988)
79. Her Alibi (1989)
80. My Left Foot (1989)
81. Beautiful Dreamers (1990)
82. An Angel at My Table (1990)
83. Henry and June (1990)
84. Misery (1990)
85. Closetland (1991)
86. Impromptu (1991)
87. Barton Fink (1991)
88. Naked Lunch (1991)
89. Hedd Wynn (1992)
90. The Player (1992)
91. Basic Instinct (1992)
92. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
93. The Pelican Brief (1993)
94. So I Married An Ax Murderer (1993)
95. The Dark Half (1993)
96. Shadowlands (1993)
97. Poetic Justice (1993)
98. The Paper (1994)
99. Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
100. Paperback Romance (1994)
101. Tom & Viv (1994)
102. Little Women (1994)
103. Il Postino: The Postman (1994)
104. Mrs. Parker & The Vicious Circle (1994)
105. Delta of Venus (1995)
106. Total Eclipse (1995)
107. The Flower of My Secret (1995)
108. Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
109. Carrington (1995)
110. Delores Claiborne (1995)
111. The Pillow Book (1996)
112. The Whole Wide World (1996)
113. Mother (1996)
114. Hamsun (1996)
115. The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca (1996)
116. Welcome to Sarajevo (1997)
117. Deconstructing Harry (1997)
118. Henry Fool (1997)
119. Wilde (1997)
120. Chasing Amy (1997)
121. One True Thing (1998)
122. Shakespeare In Love (1998)
123. A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries (1998)
124. Eternity and a Day (1998)
125. Permanent Midnight (1998)
126. A Murder of Crows (1998)
127. Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
128. Croupier (1998)
129. Slam (1998)
130. Les Enfants Du Siècle / The Children of the Century (1999)
131. Topsy Turvey (1999)
132. The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999)
133. Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)
134. Never Been Kissed (1999)
135. The Best Man (1999)
136. The End of the Affair (1999, originally 1955)
137. The Muse (1999)
138. True Crime (1999)
139. Bamboozled (2000)
140. Almost Famous (2000)
141. Before Night Falls (2000)
142. Joe Gould’s Secret (2000)
143. Nora (2000)
144. Pandaemonium (2000)
145. Wonder Boys (2000)
146. Finding Forrester (2000)
147. Quills (2000)
148. Isn’t She Great (2000)
149. Pinero (2001)
150. Iris (2001)
151. Moulin Rouge (2001)
152. The Shipping News (2001)
153. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
154. Bridget Jones Diary (2001)
155. Storytelling (2001)
156. Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)
157. How to Kill your Neighbor’s Dog (2001)
158. Orange County (2002)
159. Possession (2002)
160. The Hours (2002)
161. Adaptation. (2002)
162. Blue Car (2002)
163. I Capture the Castle (2003)
164. Alex & Emma (2003)
165. Shattered Glass (2003)
166. American Splendor (2003)
167. As Good As It Gets (2003)
168. Sylvia (2003)
169. Cheaper By The Dozen (2003)
170. Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
171. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
172. The Swimming Pool (2003)
173. Veronica Guerin (2003)
174. Notre Musique (2004)
175. Before Sunset (2004)
176. Sideways (2004)
177. The Libertine (2004)
178. Finding Neverland (2004)
179. Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
180. Secret Window (2004)
181. The Door in the Floor (2004)
182. La Tigre E La Neve / Tiger and the Snow (2005)
183. The Dying Gaul (2005)
184. The Squid and the Whale (2005)
185. Capote (2005)
186. The Prize-winner of Defiance Ohio (2005)
187. Factotum (2005)
188. Winter Passing (2005)
189. The Night Listener (2006)
190. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
191. Scoop (2006)
192. The TV Set (2006)
193. The Hoax (2006)
194. Infamous (2006)
195. Half Light (2006)
196. Miss Potter (2006)
197. Ask the Dust (2006)
198. Running with Scissors (2006)
199. Love and other Disasters (2006)
200. Starting Out in the Evening (2007)
201. Martian Child (2007)
202. Slipstream (2007)
203. Freedom Writers (2007)
204. Becoming Jane (2007)
205. A Mighty Heart (2007)
206. Dan in Real Life (2007)
207. Purple Violets (2007)
208. Moliere (2007)
209. In the Land of Women (2007)
210. Zodiac (2007)
211. Music and Lyrics (2007)
212. 1408 (2007)
213. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
214. Atonement (2007)
215. 27 Dresses (2007)
216. Roman De Gare (2007)
217. Angel (2007)
218. Resurrecting The Champ (2007)
219. Nim’s Island (2008)
220. Marley & Me (2008)
221. The Edge of Love (2008)
222. The Stoning of Soroya M. (2008)
223. Me and Orson Welles (2008)
224. Burn After Reading (2008)
225. Sex & The City: The Movie (2008)
226. Funny People (2009)
227. 500 Days of Summer (2009)
228. Julie & Julia (2009)
229. Gentleman Broncos (2009)
230. Bright Star (2009)
231. The Answer Man (2009)
232. 2012 (2009)
233. Motherhood (2009)
234. Broken Embraces (2009)
235. The Soloist (2009)
236. World’s Greatest Dad (2009)
237. The Last Station (2009)
238. Cole (2009)
239. The Boys are Back (2009)
240. Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
241. Spoken Word (2009)
242. Tetro (2009)
243. State of Play (2009)
244. Nine (2009)
245. The Rum Diary (2010)
246. The Ghost Writer (2010)
247. Howl (2010)
248. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)
249. Sex & The City 2 (2010)
250. Eat, Pray, Love (2010)
251. Midnight in Paris (2011)
252. One Day (2011)
253. Limitless (2011)
254. Young Adult (2011)
255. The Help (2011)
256. Anonymous (2011)
257. Ruby Sparks (2012)
258. The Words (2012)
259. Writers (2012)
260. Being Flynn (2012)

The original list lives here. Come visit it, share it, link to it, and visit the Pinterest page!

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