Combatting Writer's Butt--Walking and Writing

I’m writing this from a treadmill at my local gym. Yep, walking and writing, that’s my new thing. It’s my way to combat writer’s butt.

In a former life, I had small kids, I ran around the house chasing them and cleaning up the messes that they made. This helped me stay in some semblance of shape. When my kids got older I made it to the gym 4-5 times a week and I loved to run outside. I completed a half-marathon and a few 10ks back in 2005. As much as I’ve been in denial, times have changed. When I started the whole writing thing, I found myself sitting more and more. My favorite place to write was (and is) the couch in front of the fire.

A year ago, my youngest son started school, and I started writing more seriously, I spent more time at the computer, and since I was now sending out queries, I had to have the rejection chocolate handy. Now with a book slated for publication (insert scream of joy/exhilaration/disbelief here) writing has become a job. With deadlines looming, kids on crazy schedules, and oh yeah, housework, dinner, laundry, (etc. etc. etc.), my gym/running time has become non-existent, (and rejection chocolate has nothing on on-submission and now revision chocolate.) Hence, writer’s butt has crept up on me.

And it’s not just my butt (or my thighs or my stomach) that are suffering because of my long hours on the couch. I have found that although I’m trying to fit more into my day, I have energy to do less. For my health and sanity, I needed to find a way to be active without spending hours at the gym or on the road running.

I’m a big multi-tasker, (what mom isn’t?), so when I read about the idea of a treadmill desk, or working/writing and walking, I knew it was something I needed to check out. I googled treadmill desk and came up with several articles and ideas based on research by Dr. James Levine of the Mayo clinic. I loved the idea, but I don’t have an extra $4,000 to invest in the treadmill desk found on Amazon. Another website suggested building a desk onto a treadmill, but again, a good treadmill, like the one the author suggests you build the desk on costs $1,500-$2,000.

I started looking on Craigslist for a good used treadmill, but I wasn’t finding anything in the price range I had set for myself. I needed another solution, and quick, because I’m not a patient person and my butt wasn’t getting any smaller. In my Googling, I came across the Surf shelf, a plastic shelf that you can strap your laptop to so you can use it while you walk. Most of the reviews on Amazon for the Surfshelf were good. I already have a gym membership, and since the Surfshelf said it would fit on any treadmill, I decided to try it. This was a $40 solution, (plus my $30 a month gym membership).

I’ll be totally honest. When I opened the package for my SurfShelf, I thought it looked cheap. The idea of strapping my laptop to this contraption scared me. Have I mentioned that I call my laptop “My Precious?” (said in a Lord of the Rings, Golom voice). But I didn’t have any other solution, so I loaded the SurfShelf into my laptop bag, waited for a slow time at the gym so I wouldn’t be totally embarrassed if this didn’t work (10:00 on a Friday night), and headed to the gym. With much trepidation and doubt, I strapped the surf-shelf on, secured my laptop, and started up the treadmill.

In just a few minutes I went from skeptical to amazed. The SurfShelf actually fit on the treadmill at the gym, the keyboard was at a comfortable height for me to work, and it felt secure. (Does it sound like I’m doing an infomercial? If I am, I’m not getting paid for it.)

I had to make the text on my laptop the size of a page width so I could read it. Once I did that I found out I could write fairly well while walking at 3 mph. (Dr. Levine's research and everything else I've read recommends a slower pace than that.) The first day, I burned off almost three hundred calories. The hour went by so fast, I was surprised when I looked at the clock and it said after 11:00.

That was three weeks ago. Since then I have used my SurfShelf several more times. I have walked up to three hours with a break after every hour so the treadmill can cool down and I can stretch and go potty. I have written 1,500 to 2,000 words, critiqued for my group, revised, and even written a blog post. (This one.)

The advantages of walking and writing at the gym are these:

1. I’m writing and burning a lot more calories than I would if I were sitting.
2. I’m away from my house and the distractions of laundry, dishes, etc. I realize all of those things have to be done, but sometimes I spend my whole day cleaning and don’t get to the writing part. Leaving the house reinforces to me that this is my work time.
3. My gym doesn’t have internet access, so I don’t have the distraction of the internet, although this can be a plus and a minus. The internet for a writer is a necessary evil. I’m able to focus better, but I miss being able to do instant research while I’m writing.
4. I feel like the motion, and maybe the flow of blood to my brain helps me focus so my word count is actually up from what it is when I’m sitting down.
   
5. If I’m using equipment at the gym, I know it’s high quality, and someone else maintains it for me.

The minuses for writing at the gym are:

1. Funny looks.
2. The gym itself can be distracting—Televisions, other people’s conversations, music, the hot guy lifting weights across the gym, (but that also could be considered research, right?) I like to wear headphones to keep myself focused, even if I’m not listening to music.
   
3. No power source at the gym, I can only work for the length of my laptop battery.
   
4. I can’t write and walk and write whenever. My gym has late hours, but it still requires a ten minute car ride to get there.

Other minuses for me have been that my back, legs and feet do hurt after I’m done, but I’m getting more used to it, and frankly, my back hurts when I sit on the couch and write all day too. However, I am looking for better shoes.

I should point out that I started in okay shape. I’m only a few pounds over what my BMI says is normal for my height, and I can still run three to five miles continuously.

I am a little concerned about the effect of static electricity on my laptop. Every time I move my hands from the keyboard to the treadmill I get shocked. I’m not sure if that’s doing anything to hurt my laptop or not. Also, I keep a hand towel with me because my hands get sweaty and I’m worried about what that will do to my laptop.

Overall I’m really pleased with my experiment, but it’s still a work in progress. After hitting the gym three times last week and watching what I ate, I dropped two pounds. Still a long ways from my goal, but it’s definitely progress.

I am still looking for a used treadmill on Craigslist, so I can walk/write whenever I want to, but for now I’m happy with the way my walking and writing is going. I’ll keep you posted.

So tell me, how do you feel about this whole idea?

How do you stay in shape through long hours at the computer?

Online Now! Witness the Birth of a Novel--Cayman Summmer

Yesterday I heard a story about a woman who had "unfriended" one of her best friends on Facebook because that friend had put up some rather graphic pictures of herself in the midst of childbirth.

I've given birth four times so I know firsthand that childbirth is a beautiful, natural and, lets face it... a MESSY process. Not something I would share on Facebook. (My kids would die of mortification if pictures like that existed anyway.)

Most people are aware that childbirth is messy, and most people probably wouldn't share graphic pictures of that process with the world. But what you may not be aware of, the birth of a novel can be just as messy (okay, with less blood).

So I was in shock and awe when my fellow author, mentor, and sister-in-law, Angela Morrison, decided to let the world in on such a private moment...the birth of her novel.

CAYMAN SUMMER--the third book in the TAKEN BY STORM series I reviewed on Wednesday--is going up bit by bit on Angela's devoted CAYMAN SUMMER Blog. She's holding nothing back. You get to see free-writes and handwritten notes, poems and dive logs. Each piece is formed and brought forth--wide eyed and blinking--into the world.

Not only is Angela throwing the doors open for everyone to view this process, she's allowing and even welcoming criticism and comments about her new baby. Honestly, I don't have that much courage.

Writing in serial isn't a new idea. Charles Dickens did it. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did it. Even Stephen King and Orson Scott have done it. Magazine and newspaper serials were how many great 19th century novelists got their start. Now with e-books and the Internet, it's happening again, but Angela's take on the idea may be unique. She isn't presenting CAYMAN SUMMER as a complete work--serialized into segments. She's presenting it as a "work in progress" and allowing everyone to be a part of that progress.

My hat is off to Angela. I have to revise a chapter 3 or 4 times to take it to my critique group, actually posting it raw and asking for comments would be too hard for my delicate ego to take.

For anyone tackling the writing process, I would encourage you to stop by Angela's CAYMAN SUMMER Blog. Poke around, read the writing, check out the rough drafts, browse the comments, leave your own comments, feed the fish, (that's one of my favorite parts!), and learn. Angela has an MFA from the prestigious Vermont College of Fine Arts. She's an excellent writer and a great teacher. I owe so much of my writing ability to her mentoring. You'll learn a lot from watching her process unfold. And it's encouraging to know that even great writers make mistakes and have to revise.

For everyone else, I'd encourage you to visit the site and READ because it's a GREAT story. (And did I mention it's fun to feed the fish? Just hover over them with the mouse and then click and they eat the little virtual food pellets. How cool is that?)

I'm not going to miss a post because I love watching the process and...well...I'm dying to know what happens to Michael and Leesie. (And I like to visit the fish.)

So fellow writers...I want to know, how many of you would be brave enough to post the birth of your novel this way?

Of Websites and Wedding Dresses

Today is Monday and according to my new blog format that means it's all about ME!!!

For the past four days I've been working furiously towards one thing--my manuscript going on submission this week. Yikes! Yay!

* Hyperventilating and celebrating at the same time.*

I thought you might be interested in what it takes to for a writer to prepare for her/his manuscript going on submission. For me it was: go through the manuscript, send it to my agent, make a few revisions, send it to my agent, go through it again, and one last thing...

Get a website.

My first official conversation with my agent was about my manuscript, but after we had talked revisions she said, "Okay, about your web presence..."

Web presence?

Gone (or at least fading) are the days when an author could slave away in their little corner, create their art, and then send it to readers who would enjoy the book while the author remained in relative anonymity. Today, readers expect to be able to Google their favorite author and find out what they wore to their high school prom. (Or if they even went to their high school prom.) For the record, I went to my junior, but not my senior prom.
And my dress was blue, and a little too tight because I borrowed it from a friend, but I digress...

The point is, there's a lot more to selling a book than just writing it, sending it off to a publisher, and going to a book signings. (Not even mentioning the query process or revisions.) Now, it is vitally important that authors, especially new authors, take responsibility for their own branding and their own advertising. Hence, I needed a website.

By now you're probably wondering (based on the title of this post), What does a wedding dress have to do with my website?

It's a parable of sorts. Let me enlighten you.

My first foray into higher education was at a small, private college, run by my church. It was called Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho). At Ricks there was a running joke about girls who went to Ricks to get their MRS (to find a husband). I was not one of these girls, and honestly I didn't know too many girls who were like that. It was a joke and a stereotype, usually not true. (And I suspect even less true now.)

However, one of my friends had a roommate who personified that stereotype. She actually came to Ricks with her wedding dress. No kidding. I saw it in the closet. And she didn't even have a boyfriend. There were other girls, not that extreme, who had already figured out what kind of wedding dress they wanted, some had even looked into decorations, caterers etc. Some had books of that kind of stuff. (If you're old or young enough think Monica on "Friends).

I wasn't like that. I actually wrote in my journal "I will not get married until I'm at least 25." (I won't tell you how young I really was when I got married.)

And then I met David.

David was and still is the one person in the world that completes me. (I know that's a cliche but it's true.) My mom says we're like a hand and a glove. When I met him I knew we were going to get married.

Sooner that I expected, I was faced with the task of planning my wedding. Only I didn't have a clue what I wanted. Or where to look. The whole thing stressed me out I didn't get to enjoy the process. When my sister got married I wanted to be involved in everything. By then, I knew what I liked--too late for my own wedding.

So websites and wedding dresses. (I will tie this all together, I promise.) What I should have learned from planning a wedding that I was completely unprepared to plan; it's okay and not presumptuous to PREPARE for an event that you are working towards and that you want to happen.

Like writing. Like having a manuscript on submission. Like putting up a website.

Last year, I attended a SCBWI-WWA (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Western Washington), meeting that was put on by Greg Pincus. Greg writes a blog called The Happy Accident, all about increasing your web presence. He said that the time to start advertising and creating buzz about a book is three years before it comes out. Three years!!! I took that to my critique group and we all agreed that seemed a little crazy. Three years ago was when I started this process, three years ago my story hadn't even been conceived, much less written.

However...

In many ways he was right. Not that I could have promoted a book that didn't exist, but that I could have promoted myself as a writer. I could have started a blog, (like this one). I could have a least looked into how to do a website. I could have connected with other writers, (luckily I did).

Not having any idea what I wanted for my wedding added stress to an event I wanted to enjoy. Not knowing what I wanted and needed for a website added stress to another process I could have had fun with.

Fortunately, choosing wisely in the first instance (the wedding) helped me out in the second. My techie husband did an amazing job on the site that he built for me, and he was even willing to work late hours to get it together in my unreasonable time frame. (Thanks Hon!)

So I didn't tell my young friend heading off to BYU-Idaho, (my former college) this week that she needs to bring her wedding dress. But I will tell you, my friends and fellow writers, BE PREPARED.

The idea of putting up a website or even a blog might seem presumptuous. Going to a writer's group when you're just starting out might seem premature. But it's not. Let me say that again, working towards something you want is not presumptuous, it's smart.

And I'm not just talking about writing. Any goal that's worth having is worth taking seriously, even if it takes years to achieve. You can enjoy the journey knowing that you're working for something you want and when the time comes you'll be prepared.

And you might not be stuck wearing your best friend's too-tight blue dress to your prom. (But that's another parable.)

With that LONG introduction I present my website:

www.jennifershawwolf.com

JUADSOL (Jumping up and down, screaming out loud!)

Kirby Larson Comes to Town

Last week I met Kirby Larson, an author who is (in my humble opinion) a master of the art of storytelling. Kirby came to visit my kids’ school. She got down on a personal level with them by sharing experiences from her childhood as well as the experiences she had writing her books. My favorite moment came after she signed my son’s book. He said in his shy, halting, little voice, “Thank you Kirby Larson,” and she answered back “You’re welcome Zach Wolf.”

As a writer I drank in her personal experiences and advice about what it takes to be an author (persistence, rewriting, persistence, rewriting, and did I mention persistence?). But what I was most impressed with was the stories she chooses to tell.

In her book TWO BOBBIES (co-authored with Mary Nethery), Kirby tells the true story of a dog and a cat lost in post-Katrina New Orleans and how they relied on each other to survive. In NUBS, THE TRUE STORY OF A MUTT, A MARINE, AND A MIRACLE, (also co-authored with Mary Nethery) we see how a dog of war lifted the spirits and stole the hearts of a group of Marines in Iraq and the incredible lengths that Nubs and the soldiers went to so they could stay together. I would recommend these two books to anyone. They are picture books, but I don’t care how old you are. I have a hard time reading either of them without getting choked up.

I also enjoyed, HATTIE BIG SKY, Kirby Larson’s 2007 Newbery Honor book. While this book isn't a true story, it is based on the experiences of one of Kirby’s relatives. I laughed and cried with Hattie through her battles with the weather, crops, the young and dashing rancher who lived (relatively) next door, and a cantankerous cow. (That part of the story I could totally relate to. I had to milk cows on my grandpa’s farm when I was a teenager—trust me, any bad words you say to a cow are completely forgivable).

These three books show how an author can bring bits and pieces, images, and family stories together to touch the lives of the people who read them.

Thank you Kirby for writing inspiring stories, for taking the time to inspire the students at my sons’ school (and me), and for forgiving me for spelling your name wrong in Ann's book trailer. (Note to everyone, double-check the spelling of any award-winning authors you might end up meeting.)

I want to know... What books have touched you and why? What is it about the story that stayed with you?

Beginings...

Hello... do you hear the echo? Digital letters bouncing off digital components and sailing off into the emptiness of cyberspace. Starting a blog is kind of a lonely thing. Putting your words out there for the world and then... waiting... is anybody out there?

The question that all of you (all two of you, hi Mom) must be asking yourself is who is this person and what possessed her at 11:22 on an idle Wednesday (March 3rd, 2010 to be exact) to put her voice out to the world?

Well to begin with (since this IS entitled beginnings) I have to make a confession. I hear voices. All the time. Constantly. Really. Somewhere in the crowded confines of my brain, between my shopping list, a host of useless 80s lyrics, and what time soccer practice is tonight, I have a whole community of characters. All vying for a piece of my brain. All trying to talk to me at once. All trying to tell me their stories.

Okay so if you've stayed with me this far, (hi Hon) you're probably wondering why you should care about my slight mental imbalance.

Be patient, I'm getting to that part but that requires another confession...

I'm an aspiring novelist, (aspiring, pre-published, hopeful, delusional, take your pick). After trying for a year to get my community of characters out of my brain and into the real world I've decided I need a new forum to share them with you. (Yes you, that sweet, open emptiness of cyberspace soon to be filled with my adoring fans.)

But this blog is not all about me, or even about the voices in my head. Because that would be BORING and SELF-CENTERED and I'd probably be better off writing this all down in my illegible handwriting and shoving it in a drawer. Or better yet, I could wash the dishes, do laundry, vacuum, or pick up my kids from soccer practice (or football, or piano, or scouts depending on the day).

This blog is about YOU. Specifically the teenaged and young adult YOUS. Why? Because the majority of the voices in my head are teenagers. Because I look back on high school as a crazy, wonderful, mixed up, fascinating part of my life. Because I find myself suddenly given the INSANE task of raising teenagers. Particularly insane because in my mind I'm still a teenaged kid only now I have a mortgage, an SUV, and four little people who look to me for (yikes!) guidance, protection, and unconditional love. Because suddenly all of those horrible things I said to my parents are being spouted back to me. But mostly because if I close my eyes I can still remember the tingly feeling of my first kiss in the parking lot of our rival high school (yes, I still remember Rob, and thank you). I can still remember horrible sinking loneliness and feeling like I'd never belong. I can still remember long talks with the best friends in the world. And I can still remember the free exhilaration of jumping off a bridge into the river on the hottest day of summer.

So this blog is for all of the teenagers (and former teenagers) out there. Those who like to read. Those who like to write. Those who have a story to tell. Those who are looking for a story that will tell them something.

Is that all vague and warm and fuzzy enough for you? Is it just a whole lot of words that don't tell you much about me or what I'm trying to accomplish with this blog?

Shh. Listen. This is just the beginning.