Wow. That was a clever title…
Oops. Didn’t realize the mic was on.
Sorry.
I’m back on an exercise kick. No, I’m not one of those people who starts and stops things whenever I lose interest. I had to knock off the running (sniff!) in favor of an activity that wouldn’t cause so much internal overheating.
So after sulking for a disgusting amount of time, I finally decided to pick another exercise that would keep me outside and moving, and still enable me to listen to my tunes. Gotta. Have. The. Tunes.
My choice?
*cue the drum roll, please*
I’m biking.
Although I haven’t been at it long, my thighs are already protesting—a very good sign in my book. I’ve mapped out a course that’s 2 ½ miles with plans to extend that by a half mile every few weeks. There aren’t any hills to climb, but neither are there hills to coast. I’m just pedaling. And pedaling. And pedaling.
It’s cutting into my writing time a little…but it’s also making said writing time much more productive.
So much so, I just finished up a dreaded synopsis (why is it soooo much easier to write a 300 + page novel than it is to write five pages???) with more ease than I’ve ever written one in the past. Sure, some of that could be the fun premise of the book. Some can even be attributed to practice. But I’m placing a lot of it on the exercise. And all those little endorphins that are being released…
Which makes me wonder something…
What scrapes your work butt off the ground (besides a paycheck) and makes you more productive? Is it an exercise? A food? A particular song? What?
~Laura
*I’m giving you a little homework between now and next Tuesday. I’m in the mood to talk about songs. In particular, songs that tell the kind of stories we can’t shake… So start thinking and check in next week.
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Funny, I just posted something very similar over at the Planet.
I play music. Nothing kicks me into a higher gear than playing blues all night with a mighty tight band.
It’s a great way to blow out the carbon.
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Used to be I could write for hours as long as I had diet Coke and thin pretzels. Caffeine definitely still helps, in whatever form.
When I’m stuck, though, I find that an hour of weeding in the garden really sets the subconscious free to work on whatever the problem is. I come up with great solutions to writerly obstacles when I’m wielding a dandelion fork. Go figure. (In winter, I just pout and whine and try to take a nap. Doesn’t work quite so well.)
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Anything where I can move and don’t have to think too much. Washing dishes, for example. Driving’s a big one. I get a lot of plotting work done slogging through traffic.
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I took a bit of a break a couple of weeks ago. I watched movies and did some “binge reading,” as you called it awhile back, Laura. I delved into all sorts of books, not just mysteries. It got me ready to do my own thing again.
by Sara
on May 22nd, 2007 at 10:37 am
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David, I can NOT write to music–although listening to music always fills me with the urge to write.
Laura, exercise really pays off in more producitivity and creativity for me too. Although that’s really hard to remember when I don’t feel like exercising!
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David, music is the cure-all I think. For just about anything. Gonna check out your blog now. Great minds…
Regina, interesting on the weeding. That’s the kind of stuff I’m talking about. Though, the biking seems to clear my mind more than make me think through writing issues. I think my reconnection with writing (when I’m having issues) is the movie/binge reading Sara alluded too.
Stephen, I think it’s that moving and not thinking part that I’m getting from the biking. It’s an escape, yet motivates at the same time. Funny you say that about driving and plotting. The vast majority of my plot ideas come in the car. With the shower running a distant second.
Sara, I like the binge reading and movie watching to rejuice when the well is dry.
Diana, it’s kinda wild that doing something physically exhausting can actually give you more energy to work, isn’t it? But I’ll take it!
by Laura
on May 22nd, 2007 at 4:02 pm
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Deadlines do it for me because I’m the ultimate procrastinator. Wish it could be something easy like food…
by heather
on May 22nd, 2007 at 5:03 pm
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And then there’s that…
Thanks, Heather
by Laura
on May 22nd, 2007 at 5:05 pm
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Bicycling makes a huge difference to every aspect of my day. If I’m writing that day, it helps that. If I’m not, it helps everything else.
What kind of bike?
by Keith
on May 22nd, 2007 at 10:57 pm
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Keith, it’s just a plain old, meander round bike. It’s got speeds (10 I think–need to check) but regular side handlebars, not the kind that wrap around and down. Certainly not the kind the serious bikers use. But it’s what I’ve got.
by Laura
on May 23rd, 2007 at 6:22 am
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