By: Phillip Tomasso
With January fast approaching, I am hearing more and more
people talk about New Year Resolutions. If most people are like me, resolutions
are declared, started and then quickly forgotten—or better still—purposely ignored.
One resolution I make, year after year—I mean, every year I make it. I see gym
and fitness ads running on TV throughout December. So, I know I am not alone.
My goal is always to get in shape. Always. I know, one of these years I will
stand-fast and commit to actually exercising, eating healthier and making a
difference in my physique. One of these years.
Of course I have the classic excuses Not To Exercise. My work schedule. My family responsibilities. My
sleep schedule. I can argue to death why these three responsibilities alone are
reason enough never to step foot in a gym. I’d be lying to you, the way I lie
to myself daily. But with myself, I’ve
fully convinced me that I am telling a solid truth. That exercise just isn’t
possible in my immediate future. That, however, I have plenty of time to get to
it, and will be so happy and satisfied once I commit.
Believe it or not, writing is very, creepily similar to
working out. Uh-huh. Absolutely true. I thought about the best way to present
comparisons. Tried narrative. Seemed
okay. But, I believe the readers here will appreciate bullets. Direct
correlation between the two. Makes my metaphor more impacting, and visible. Regardless,
it was too long a topic to limit to a single blog. Be sure to stop by my blog
page for the conclusion to this topic.
--You Need to First Realize You Want to Get in Shape
This is not a blog about alcoholics. But if you don’t first
admit there is a problem, there can be no clear road to improvement. I am out
of shape. I need to exercise. I need to turn fat into muscle. It would be
awesome to wear a shirt and not feel like I HAVE to tuck it in, or blouse it in
order to give the illusion that my gut is actually not gut at all, but excess
cotton ballooned at the waistline. Abracadabra!
Anyone I ever talk to tells me they want to write a book.
Many want to give me their life story so I can weave it into some unbelievable
tale that—they assure me—will be a best seller. My answer is always the same.
If you have a story, write it. They don’t know where to begin, how to create
characters, dialogue, chapters, etc., etc., etc.
--Get Around To Joining A Gym
One piece of advice I share is to join a writing group. Many
bookstores and libraries have them. For free, no less. A gathering of writers
sharing tips, full of questions that need answering, offering critiques and
guidance. I’ve belonged to one or another since I was fifteen years old. The
time spent with other writers has been priceless in my career as a novelist.
The second piece of advice is to read. If you want to write
a horror novel, read every horror book you can get your hands on. Study the
genre you seek to conquer. Note what you like and hate about the books read,
what was done well, and what you would do differently. See how the plots
unfold, the characters are developed, the tension is paced.
--Start Out All Gung-Ho
Like anything new—relationships, cars, going to school,
joining a gym—we always tend to start out with all pistons firing; it’s all we
talk and think about; dream of; try to get others on board with. When I’ve
joined (and eventually quit) local gyms and fitness clubs, I spent hours of the
first several days working out. I’d get up early and hit the treadmills. After
work, I’d make my way through the Nautilus equipment, or free weights. I’d
drape a hand towel (from the kitchen) over my shoulders to swipe at the rolling
beads of sweat, and carry around a water bottle to hydrate my dehydrated body.
I’d even cut back on smoking, because working out and not smoking seemed to go
hand in hand!
Writing is the same way. That idea we came up with gets
fleshed out in long hand on a pad of legal paper. Characters sketched. Concept
plots outlined. Possible settings reviewed. We fall asleep at night with a
notebook by the bed, wake up re-reading senseless sentences scribbled out
during twilight hours.
At some point we realize we’ve compiled a ton of stuff.
There aren’t exactly heads or tails to be made from any of it. But we’ve
started. We’re writing. It lacks clear direction, lucidity, flow, but gosh-darn
if we haven’t leapt and landed with both feet in the heat of drafting something
that might, that could, that if we’re lucky, will be considered a working
manuscript-or-something-or-other!
--Unused Muscles Get Sore And Achy
And the reality sets in. Usually it’s not the very next
morning. It’s two-days later. Reaching for your coffee cup is an impossible
task. You triceps, biceps, wrists, knuckles – refuse to work. The idea of
bending over to fit socks over your feet scares you into uncontrollable sobs.
You groan and moan and cry, literally shed tears, as you shrug your arms into
your coat. Don’t even bother with aspirin. It won’t work. Nothing will. You are
certain a painful death is all you have to look forward to!
Writing is no different. If you go from never (or not often)
having written anything, to writing up a storm there is bound to be some pain.
Maybe in your brain, maybe from straining your imagination. But more than
likely it will be evident in the writing itself.
I suggest take a breath. A step back. Set the initial
material aside. The thing about writing is, you wrote it. So it will generally
look good, or right to you when you re-read it. Nothing wrong with that. Well,
there kind of is. Regardless – you need a day or two off, to take a break.
Believe it or not, when you go back a few days later, reinvigorated and
hopefully well-rested, you will be more objective in sorting through the pages
and pages of … stuff … that you’ve written. Going Gung-Ho for days and days is
strenuous. Necessary sometimes, and more seasoned (in shape) writers can
perform better under different circumstances – the endurance is just at a
higher level…it’s where we should all aspire to be, the summit to reach, the
(insert cliché here) …
. . . Hopefully you want more, to see what happens next in
this exciting metaphorically relatable blog.
The conclusion to this cliffhanger of a writing segment will be posted
on my blog (in its entirety) prior to Thanksgiving.
Sandra – thank you so much for inviting me to guest blog.
Greatly appreciated. I wish you so much
success in your writing, and hope you will stop by and blog on my blog for
blogging’s sake!
Take care, and Happy Holidays everyone!
Phillip Tomasso
