Tiny Victories

Writing is hard, so why do writers make it so much harder by not following simple advice? This week Annabelle tells us about a minor adjustment she made in her writing process that anyone who has wrestled with words will be able to appreciate.

Plus, a magnetic tiny victory for a mom.

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As listeners know, Annabelle is a big fan of walking the hilly streets of her neighborhood. At night. One house in particular caught her attention because it didn’t seem quite right, and Annabelle thought it might be abandoned, or maybe a drug house. Then she switched up her routine and made a discovery.

For week two of the MaxFunDrive, fellow MaxFun hosts Brea Grant and jarrett hill each share a tiny victory about doing what needed to be done. These are (tiny) tales of growth, grit and perseverance.

Happy Maximum Fun Drive! If you’re not familiar with the MaxFunDrive, it takes place from March 20th to March 31st. During these two weeks of the year, we ask listeners who enjoy the show to show their support by becoming new or upgrading members at MaximumFun.org/join. There are many different membership levels, including the $5 a month membership which gives you access to ALL of the bonus content created by MaxFun shows across the network.

Tiny Victories listeners know Annabelle and Laura have been championing little joys and minor accomplishments for a while. It seems that it’s catching on. Is there a tiny zeitgeist happening? House brings the receipts. Plus, The Sporkful’s Dan Pashman calls in with a Shake-y tiny victory, and let’s us know about his new podcast.

Did you hear the news about earth’s innermost core? It’s even core-ier than previously thought! That’s a bit of science news Annabelle read about in the Washington Post, and it made her happy, though not for a reason one might think. Plus, author Laura Cathcart Robbins calls in with what House is calling a “wigtory”.

Why does the word “guilty” so often seen before “pleasure”? It’s a pleasure. Own that it’s a pleasure! This week, Laura House enthuses about “committing to the bit”, but not in the way Gen X comics first understood it to mean. Plus, a hotline caller tells us about the “upside” of COVID.

Did you hear about Flaco? If you haven’t, you, like House, were in the dark about the escaped owl from the Central Park Zoo. Everyone else in the world (that Annabelle follows on social media) has been worried sick about him. So what made Annabelle get on the Flaco bandwagon too? She explains.

Achieving success is an elusive business, especially if it’s the business of show. Take Laura and Annabelle. They write, perform, take meetings, do comedy, promote shows…It’s a constant hustle. But does it have to be? This week, House talks about doing the unthinkable: nothing. Or, rather, focusing on ONE thing. It’s something overworked Americans rarely do, and House is reminded that we should.

In this week’s episode, Annabelle finds solace in astronomer Keith Cooper’s op-ed on the enormity of the cosmos, and we also discover that Laura and Annabelle do not share the same excitement regarding alien contact. Plus, a hotline call from someone proud to be crafty!