Thursday, May 06, 2010

The good, the bad and the jiggly...


So after three days of dieting and intense exercising (started kickboxing in my barn!) I've decided that I'm fat, tired, and sore.
But you know what? It's a good kind of fat, tired and sore. Because I'm being productive toward a long term goal and that productivity feels great! (and so do the endorphins!)

Sometimes to make something better, it has to get worse first. Like when cleaning out a closet - you have to make a bigger mess in order to clean the original mess. So, before, I felt out of shape, jiggly, and breathless...now I feel out of shape, jiggly, breathless, and achy. (not to mention sleepy from having to work out early in the morning or late at night)
But I know that soon the corner will turn and I'll be better than I was.
Often as writers, our manuscripts are much the same way. We ignore the problems (shallow characters, jiggly thighs, purple prose, cellulite, forced conflict, etc.) until we just can't take it anymore, then we finally spring into action, despite the pain. We cut back on eating here, slash some wordcount there, add an exercise routine here, enhance the conflict there...until finally, successful results! A better novel! Toned muscles.

If you're in that first stage of "ugh" in a new process with your writing or even in your personal life, hang in there. Keep going. Keep working.
It will be worth it! =)

1 comment:

Tonya said...

That's exactly where I am Betsy! I want to be productive inbwriting but I avoid because I don't really know what I'm doing or where to start. It feels overwhelming but maybe I need to walk through that and learn to gain some writing muscle