What’s Holding You Back by Christine Duncan

I stood at the back of the pack on the start line of a 5K race on Thursday for a traditional turkey trot. As I glanced around the people waiting with me, I remarked to my son and daughter (who were also running) that I felt intimidated by the other runners. I saw all the heart rate monitors and expensive running outfits and ultra skinny bodies and felt outclassed. When my kids asked why, I said because I am a plodder not a runner.

My children challenged my statement, citing runs I had done. It didn’t matter. That is pretty much how I see myself.

So what prompted this post? It took me two days to check the stats on that race, because I’m not a racer. I did this turkey trot because my son just took up running and he wanted to try it. But because I wanted to encourage him to stick with it, I looked up our times.

My time confirmed my estimate of myself as a plodder. I knew I wasn’t very fast. But I was astounded to find when I looked at the web-site that I ran faster than over three quarters of those other folks in the race. I won my (very small) age category. I guess I have some thinking to do because honestly, I would still back just about any one of those people against me. Except…you know…the fact is, I must somehow have passed them in there somewhere.

Still the internal dialog continued.

It was cold out there on Thursday morning. The smart folks stayed home in their warm beds. And no real runner runs a turkey trot. They do the real races. I would never be as fast as a real runner.

Except they didn’t show up. I did. And sometimes, I guess that really is what counts.

Sometimes the facts don’t fit what we know about ourselves. Sometimes we do things we don’t think we can. And sometimes showing up is…well what’s that quote from Woody Allen? “Eighty percent of success is just showing up.” Dang, I’m thinking now, it’s more like 99%.

I’m beginning to think we don’t know as much about ourselves as we think.

What about you? What “fact” about yourself or the world around you have you challenged lately? Are the “facts” holding your writing back? Are you still showing up?

This and That by Christine Duncan

I ran my marathon today (Sunday) so now I am brain dead and the rest of me is not much better so I’m not at all sure this post will make any sense. I’m not going to tell you how I did except to say my times sucked. But I finished and there were still folks coming in after me. And I’ve got a t-shirt and a finisher’s medal to remind me to NEVER ever do this one again.

But again I found the whole process to be comparable to writing –first off finishing is sometimes enough–whether it’s a book you’re writing or a story or a way too long race. You’re bound to learn something, sometimes, you learn more than you know at the time. You might not sell the book, but you’ll be familiar with the whole process of being excited to start, followed by long stodgy middles and ends that take too long (yes it really is like that race.) When you’re done, you’ll be much closer to learning how to fix that stuff. Yes, it can be tediously painful sometimes. You’ve learned so much already sometimes it seems like it’s better and less painful to just quit. But this is really one of those things you can’t shortcut.

The other very related thing I’ve figured out from this (and writing) is that sometimes the reward isn’t the reason for doing it. I have no clue what to do with a marathon finisher’s medal and suspect I never will. The t-shirt is okay but I could have bought a pretty nifty one and picked out the color and style for a heck of a lot less money. I had no hope ever of being in the top finishers and getting any of those rewards. I did it for the process–I wanted to do it with my daughter. And writing has to be that way too, in this economy and this publishing world. Don’t write a romance because everyone tells you romance sells, if you don’t like and won’t read romance. It has to satisfy something in you to reach that place in someone else.

Of course, I figure writing is related to everything you do as your experiences influence your writing.

Before I go, I want to just remind you that we are still in Domestic Violence Awareness month. It doesn’t get as much play in the media as Breast Cancer Awareness month (which of course, Oct is also.) but it is also very important as more women will be impacted by domestic violence then by breast cancer.

Another Writing/Running Lesson by Christine Duncan

I want to give my apologies for this post in advance. I already know it will tend to ramble but there is no brain left in my body to do better. I usually plan and write this post on Saturdays to go up on Monday.

Yesterday (Saturday) I ran a twenty mile training race. I had only 3 thoughts on my mind–and not simultaneously, mind you. The thought at first was I just wanted to get the race started. I wanted to run. That was, all too quickly replaced by the next single thought. I wanted only to stop running. PLEASE.

Then when the race was finally over all I could think of was, I wanted to lie down. Now. Which of course, I couldn’t since I had a friend who needed a ride to work, and one of my sisters- in-law was in town and… never mind. You get the picture. None of this is conducive to writing a post on writing.

And yet it was, you know. It was one of those rare step by step, don’t give up moments. What was really rare about it was, I recognized it. It is unusual to have a day when you really know what you are choosing. I chose, consciously to run yesterday. I didn’t know if I could run again after it, but I was getting through that miserable, rotten, &*$# twenty-miles. No matter what. And it’s the choice that is important.

I mean, if I chose not to write this post today, and just told myself I’d get to it–tomorrow and then when tomorrow came, I put it off again, I’d still be making a step by step choice. But I might not recognize it as such.

I’m not sure I’m making sense. I’m definitely not sure I’m going on with the marathon training. (No, I’m not telling you my times other than to say only about 30 people ran the twenty-miler and I am proud to say I wasn’t the last in, or even the next to last. But that’s all I’m proud of. I would pay those other stragglers to run that race with me if I ever had to do it again.) But I have recognized yet again, that by writing this post, by choosing writing on my lunch hour, by choosing to get in touch with my critique group buddies and try again, I am choosing writing again. And today that’s a conscious choice. So that’s good.

Real Life Lessons by Christine Duncan

I’ve been training for a marathon (yeah, I know–the thought of running 26.2 miles is nuts–I’m blaming it on my daughter. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t my idea.) Yet I’m learning something every time I go out. It’s surprising just how much is applicable to writing.

For instance, many days I go out not thinking I’m going to be able to run much, either because I didn’t get much sleep the night before, or I’m just not feeling it. Inevitably I am surprised by the fact that I am stronger than I thought I would be.

Lesson #1 for Writing–showing up is half the battle. I’ve found that if I sit my butt in the chair with the intention of writing, something will inevitably happen.

Some days, I get out there to run and it’s a long slog. But I have a goal of some sort in mind, and I push myself to do it. It is amazing to me when this happens how often I think, oh, my time is going to be lousy, and yet…it’s not.

Lesson # 2 for writing, start with a (doable) goal, and then Lesson #3, don’t leave until you’ve finished the goal. I’ve found that even when I have just been putting something down because I think I should because my goal was X pages or because I just wanted to finish such and such a scene, often that writing turns out to be…decent. I may have to go back and fill in description details, or sometimes I may need more of a transition, but generally speaking when I start with a goal in mind, and tell myself I can’t leave until it’s done–it gets done.

The last thing two things I’ve learned from training for this miserable, #$@ race is this, when you are falling down tired, dizzy and overheated–quit. Writing is like this too. Sometimes you just need a break. But then you have to get back there the next day. In both running and writing, consistency really makes a difference.

Sigh, the race is in mid-October. At this point, that seems a long time to have to keep training. That’s kind of like writing too. Books inevitably have that dreaded mid point where you wonder why the heck you’re doing it. Usually you don’t get to blame that on your daughter though. I’ll let you know how it all goes.

Lessons Running Taught Me by Christine Duncan

It doesn’t take much for a writer to get jazzed. For instance, I am in a good mood today because my local library has gotten in all the copies of my book that it ordered and they are all checked out.

It’s not Best Seller-dom, but I’ll take it.

On the other hand, it is easy to be discouraged as a writer too. I can read on my local writer’s listserve all the other pubbed authors’ signing plans and their successes and awards and think how envious I am.

But running has taught me a little bit of wisdom that I hadn’t gotten any other way. You see, I am…not a fast runner. I don’t race so this only matters when I’m running with someone else–like my daughter. Generally speaking, since she wants to run with me, she runs at my pace. Still when other runners zoom around us, I see her looking. She’s the competitive type and she wants to go faster. She is almost gleeful when she sees us coming up quickly on what was a former zooming runner. You see, I might plod but I can go for miles. And running has taught me that this is not a bad trait.

Writing is like that too. You might not be a child prodigy. Your first book may not have sold out all its copies. But take heart. We plodders eventually get there.

The trick with the whole deal is, I think, to notice your progress. If this year, you’re doing more or better than you were last year, then you’re doing okay. Life is good. If you’re not, then keep plodding. You’ll get where you’re going–eventually! And you’ll be glad you didn’t stop.

Oh, and about organizing this blog–I’m trying to take the long view on that one too.

How do You Get Ready to Write?

I have a couple of links I want to give you before I begin.

First off, I wanted to tell everyone about the Muse Online Writer’s Conference.  I am not affiiated with it, not teaching anything on it, but dang–this looks good, folks! These are free workshops designed for just about any writer out there. There are workshops on description, on query letters, on websites and well, you get the picture and I don’t want to violate the Rule of Three here. It all occurs the week of October 13th and did I mention Free? It’s free.

Another link I just want to mention is Mystery Reader’s Journal. Editor, Janet Rudolf is looking for articles and essays around her upcoming themes: Crime for the Holidays, African mysteries and the one with a deadline of Aug. 25th– mysteries set in San Francisco. Check the website for more details.

All of which leads me to what I’ve been thinking about–writing, specifically how to be more productive at it. As a matter of fact, I’ve been doing more thinking than writing. What got me started on this is a blog I read where the author was going to plan his day’s writing during his morning run. If you are this blogger, let me know, I’d love to post a trackback to you but I can’t find the blog anymore.

Anyway, as some of you know, I run and I do try to think about my writing while I run, but for some reason none of it is ever memorable AFTER the run. I don’t know if this is a comment on my planning abilities or my workout. Shoot, maybe I’m just “in the zone”–or zoned out. Anyway, so now I’m thinking, my MP3 has a recording feature, maybe I could just record any great writing ideas while I’m running. I’ll let you know how that works.

I’ve heard of writers who keep a notepad in their pockets and by their beds in case inspiration strikes. One woman I know plans everything in the shower. My husband tells me –forget that–I take long enough in there! Where and when do you plan your writing? Or do you just sit down and write? Tell All!