I should be writing/editing but…

Instead I’m dealing with tech issues for websites and content and just all around…GRRR. I may not follow astrology, but whoever reminded me or told me mercury is in retrograde….

Thank you.

It explains EVERYTHING tonight.

Am I really working?

Some days, I have to remember that I’m working even when I’m staring off into space or allowing my mind to wander as I drift down to sleep. I forget I need these creative wanderings to allow my stories to grow and evolve, and sometimes take on a life of their own.

This morning, in those moments between being really awake and somewhat asleep, my brain took off on its own tangent, plotting out a story. Now, some of it was surreal as only dreams can get, but so much of it was completely real and woke me with my heart in my throat and my pulse racing. I was amped up and ready for fight or flight mode.

Not really the way you intend to wake up in the morning. But it did remind me that if I slow down and let my brain play with a story, it can come up with some amazing plot lines for me to put to use. For my writer friends, where else do your stories come from?

The voices are talking again

I don’t know about my fellow writers, but when new stories start to reveal themselves to me, I get scenes, like a movie, flowing behind my eyes whenever I close them. Hell, sometimes I don’t even have to close them. They can get pretty real. (It’s then you start to wonder if you’re insane, or psychic. Perhaps both.)

Maybe it’s just from hanging out on Savvy Authors this week, teaching a class and reading up on others. I always get an amazing boost to my creativity the more I hang out with other creatives types. Yes, it does help to step away from my work now and then. Notice I didn’t say step away from the computer

The bonus from stepping away from my fiction writing this week? I can come back to it now having learned a few new tips and tricks and really work on fine tuning my writing even more. It’s a good thing I’m in edit mode and can put all these to use.

On the flip side, this new story in my head is starting to take over at the strangest times….

My alter ego is teaching this week

by Noel Feans

Don’t you just hate it when people talk about themselves in the 3rd person?

Seriously though, I do try to keep my fiction writing separate from well, everything else I do in the business realm. Yes, it makes me a little psycho, but hey, who needs a calm, centered fiction writer? We’re supposed to all be a little crazy.

Me crazy?

Definitely (and yes, I know all of you except my dear sweet husband will disagree with the crazy comment as a clinical hypnotherapist, I’m not really allowed to be crazy, I think). I beat myself up in the gym or TKD – I’ll take a round house kick to the jaw and just shake it off. I’ll take on too many projects. Try to balance everyone and everything (and fail miserably 99% of the time), and miss catching up with friends because by the end of the day, I want a buffer between me and people. I lose my temper with the small child no matter how much I try not to. I think it’s a mom thing. And I write in sprints. Some days focused and channeled, some days, all over the place.

The sane part of me is teaching this week.

I couldn’t justify going to the RWA Conference this year. It ends up costing to much and yielding too little. Hell, if i wanted to hang out with my favorite writing buds, I think I’ll just host a writer’s retreat and invite them all HERE. It would be less expensive, we’d get a lot done and progress would be made. Not that I don’t envy all those AT the conference this year Who doesn’t love a Disney trip?

But, for those of us not at the RWA10 this year, Savvy Authors is hosting a Summer Symposium (we won’t mention how many times I’ve had to backspace on THAT word). I offered to teach my Muse class, focusing on stress management and relaxation techniques to allow writers to focus on their craft.

I love teaching this class And, there are a lot of other online classes being offered. I can only hope to keep up with reading them all.

You should check them out! What other writing classes, online or other, have you taken and really gotten a lot out of?

PS – I uttered a VERY bad word today when pup and I got lost trying to get to the Baltimore National Aquarium. Bad mommy. I don’t like getting turned around in an area of town that had me wishing I had weapons on me. Thankfully? “That’s ok mommy, I know you’re just worried about getting us there safely.” I do love our 6 year old. He rocks.

Can we say ouch?

This may or may NOT be a writing post…we’ll see how it goes. K? (just deal with me, it’s one of those days…it started out with my mother locking herself out of her house and car at 4am and just progressed. See? We have established that she needs to make key copies and place them strategically.)

So the whole idea of going back to training mode? Yes, well, I forgot about punching drills and a heavy bag.

Can we say Ouch??

My fingers hurt. My hands hurt. My forearms protest every single blessed move today. All my jewelry is off, not that I had a lot of it on…resting at the side of my monitor, and I skipped the gym workout because I didn’t think I’d do it justice. I keep stretching my arms out just to pop my elbows as if that will help more. And, all this AFTER having Muscle Activation Therapy earlier in the day.

Somedays, I forget to engage my brain. One should probably NOT do intense training after intense therapy. My bad.

Yes, yes, I am a fighter and a writer – my fight scenes can get rather graphic. Although, I’m sure there are a ton of fighters out there who could kick my….tail (Keeping in PG, just in case the 6YO decides to read over my shoulder at a later date.) If you want to learn more about women martial artists…go check out this blog. They have great info on the reality of fighting. I learned quite a bit about knife fighting this week.

But that’s not my point tonight I want to whine and see where it goes. (I get 30 minutes, according to my internal coach.) My hands are ALL sorts of swollen up tonight.*points back to the picture of my left hand on keyboard*

Yes, I did it to myself. And yes, it may not look swollen to you…but I promise they are. It hurts. *insert whine here….and then shake head at self*

It felt great to go back into fight/defense mode. I’ve taken about a year off from MA training. (Bad idea. Shame on me.) This week, I decided…nope, I’m a martial artist and yes, I need to figure out how to blend my MA training with my bodybuilding training and overall fitness minded focus. So, out came my gloves, and Nick, pup, and I reintroduced ourselves to the heavy bag.

I haven’t ever really sparred/practiced/hit a heavy bag. A boxing bag.

The drill bags in the dojo are lighter than those used by boxers, I think, and so is Bob, he’s the sparring dummy who lives in our garage – he takes a beating across the concrete floor as needed. I don’t really use him a lot. I’m too Zen for most people, Bob included. However, he’s seen the expanse of our garage floor a few times in the years past.

As for the sparring rounds? I can move the dojo bags with a well placed round house kick too.

But, the heavy boxing bag?

Doesn’t move much and is REALLY heavy. Much to my current dismay. I’m not sure of the weight ratio in comparison. I should check it out. On the plus side, I was moving the bag, then again, so was the 6yo with a few well placed kicks…sighs… I think it might weigh about as much (probably more) as I do. And no, we’re not mentioning HOW much that is

My rings, no offense to my dear husband, are on my desk because they are now too painful to keep on. I very rarely take them off. This would be ONE of those infrequent times. And, no, they may not look swollen to you, but owwwwwww. It even hurts to curl my fingers in.

It’s also making it VERY interesting to type. It’s taking a lot more effort and an usual amount of backspacing to get any writing/typing done.

What does any of this have to do with writing? AND, my stories? Let’s see…I write about strong, female fighters..no matter what realm they come from. And, I write about the writing process…which right now, is painful and SUCKS. What do you go through for reality and fight scenes in your writing and story-telling? Please, do share.

Boo.

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