Cheryl's Musings

The Connection between Good Looks and Self Esteem

2009-12-21T09:17:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder why we spend so much time and money on looking good? Maybe this is obvious to most of you, but I’m the kind of gal who questions the seeming contradictions between my beliefs and actions. For instance, in theory I’d rather spend my money on things of lasting importance (supporting a child through Compassion International, for instance, or (more selfishly) supporting my writing habit) than on short-term pleasures. So…why do I spend money on a haircut when my husband can cut a reasonably straight line across the bottom of my hair for free? Why do I buy a cute shade of nail polish or lip gloss?

One simple answer is that it feels good to make myself look pretty. Okay. That makes sense, but why? I mean, the definition of “pretty” seems to change with the seasons. I stopped reading the makeup section of Real Simple magazine for a while, because I realized that upon reading an issue, I’d discover that I “needed” some new product or eye glitter. Geez, was I really that shallow? What’s the big deal with looking good?

A study in the December 2009 issue of Personal Relationships (yes, there is a scholarly journal devoted to personal relationships; who knew?) sheds some light on the issue of why people like to look attractive. In it, researchers from the University of Georgia and the University of Kansas report that “attractive people do tend to have more social relationships and therefore an increased sense of psychological well-being.”

But there’s a caveat: this is only true in urban areas. In rural communities, where people have fewer choices in their social relationships, physical appearance loses some importance.

In my ideal world, physical appearance wouldn’t play a role in how others judge me; but in the real world, it’s important to recognize that yes, appearance impacts how others view me. This study also reminds me to be careful as I look at others, though, because the societal norm is apparently to pick the pretty face when given a choice. I’d like to help change that.

:) Cheryl

Photo is the work of annie316 at Flickr Creative Commons

Reading With an Eye for Craft: Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

2009-12-17T10:40:00.001-08:00

I just tore through a terrific fantasy novel, Ballad: a Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater. This tale touches on two of my favorite fantasy concepts: the world of Faerie in the modern day and how music might interweave with magic. I expected to love this book. What I didn’t expect was that I loved it so much I had to go through it a second time, taking notes.

I’m embarking on the first rewrite of my own most recent fantasy novel, and Ballad turns out to be a perfect book for me to study. In it, Stiefvater weaves together a remarkably complex plot using three different point-of-view characters. One of those characters “narrates” only in the form of unsent text messages—a few pages of thoughts sprinkled through the novel that lets the reader know what’s happening in her world. It’s a terrific idea, and absolutely perfect in this book. The other two characters have such distinct voices that I never lost track of who was narrating.

She manages to take the reader through two fully developed character arcs while methodically unfolding a plot that would be difficult to follow in less skilled hands. She doles out clues and information piece by piece, until everything comes together at the story’s end into that delightful “ah-ha!” moment when it all makes sense.

If you love contemporary fantasy such as Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, Emma Bull's War for the Oaks or Charles de Lint’s novels (Jack the Giant Killer is a personal fave), you’ll find Ballad a delightful read.

And if you’re a fellow fantasy writer, you’ll love checking out the details of her world-building, story pacing, and character creation. This book definitely merits two reads, because the first time through you’ll be too caught up in the story to pay attention to craft—and her craft is worth studying.

:) Cheryl

P.S. She has a pretty fun website, too. Check it out!

P.P.S. Back to that rewrite….

Confessions of a word geek

2009-12-17T09:44:00.000-08:00

Know what makes me happy? Finding the right word to search for in order to find my place in a document….you know, trying to think of a word that you don’t use until that scene where the T-rex explodes out his egg in the middle of the district basketball championship.

And this picture. This picture makes me very happy.

Theoretically, that is.

:) Cheryl

The Week’s Tweets on how to dodge subconscious blocks and WRITE THE STORY

2009-12-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

WTS=Write the Story!

WTS 33: Does mood affect creativity? Research suggests recovery from depression, not depression, inspires creativity. http://bit.ly/8FkBQQ

WTS 34: More on mood/creativity relationship: One study shows both positive and negative moods spark creativity http://bit.ly/93aW3k

In other words:happy or sad people more creative, relaxed or angry people less so. And playing a video game can spark creativity

...and for another take on creativity and mood, see http://bit.ly/6GKI0p, which claims a sad writer is a careful writer.

WTS 35: Feeling stuck? Take a long walk, with pen and paper or a voice recorder for when inspiration strikes.

WTS 36: Create an inspirational playlist. What music does your character like? What music reflects your character’s mood?

WTS 37: Play a “background sounds” CD of waves, birds, a crackling fire, etc., to help create the right mood for writing a particular scene.

* Photo courtesy of Giles Gunthier, Flickr Commons

Mood and Creativity

2009-12-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

Mood and creativity, creativity and mood: It seems that all too often, I stumble across the bias that creative people have to suffer for their art.

My take on it? Phooey.

Yes, there is a correlation between creativity and struggles with depression. There’s also a correlation between creativity and other serious psychological issues, such as Van Gogh’s cutting-off-the-ear syndrome.

But the more researchers tackle the topic, the more they discover that depression is a major blocker for most creativity. One study found that recovery from depression, not depression, inspires creativity. Personally, this is no big surprise. It’s hard to be creative when you’re using all your energy to get from day to day. Cynthia Leitich Smith posts a link to a wonderful article about Writers and Depression by Nancy Etchemendy of the Horror Writer’s Association. In it, Etchemendy talks about some of the common symptoms of depression and how to fight it.

But what about less extreme mood swings? Do these impact creativity and flow?

The answer seems to be yes. In another study at Penn State University, researchers looked at how playing a video game impacted test subjects’ creativity—and found that when the video game put the subject in a positive mood, he or she tested as more creative. However, they also found that creativity was enhanced in subjects who had a negative mood. The least creative were those who felt relaxed or angry.

How does this work? Well, researchers think that positive and negative moods affect creativity in different ways. Professor S. Shyam Sundar, who worked on the study with grad student Elizabeth Hutton, believes that “When you are highly aroused, the energy itself acts as a catalyst, and the happy mood acts as an encouragement. It is like being in a zone where you cannot be thrown off your game” A negative mood, on the other hand, he believes makes a person more analytical—which is another key aspect of creativity.

Perhaps that explains Mark Peters’ essay A Happy Writer Is a Lousy Writer?, in which he discusses the work of University of New South Wales Psychology Professor Joe Forgas. From Forgas’s work, it appears that a bad mood might make us more careful and alert in our work.

When I put this all together, my conclusion is that it’s okay for writers to be happy…although it might be good to tone it down a notch for line editing. Creativity CAN coincide with a cheery afternoon.

So there: I give you permission to be a joyful writer. Aren’t you glad?

:) Cheryl

Stress, Writing, and Chocolate

2009-12-12T06:31:00.000-08:00

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the interplay between emotions, stress, and creativity. It seems to come down to this: a little stress can be good for your writing life, just like it can be good in other areas, but too much stress is a Definite Bad Thing.

The good news is that scientists have just confirmed something that we writers have suspected all along: chocolate does, indeed, help combat emotional stress! In a study released November 11, researchers report that test subjects who ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate daily for two weeks “reduced levels of stress hormones in the bodies of people feeling highly stressed.”

So if stress is interfering with your joy in life, take heart! And take a chocolate :).

:-) Cheryl

Too Fat to Be a Princess—Worries for the Modern Preschooler

2009-12-10T06:38:00.000-08:00

We all know the American obsession with skinny people and body image—but I didn’t know until I read this report how pervasive worries about appearance has become. According to a recent study at the University of Central Florida, about half of 3-6 year old girls say they worry about being too fat.

This makes me sad.

On the flip side, these girls don’t appear to react negatively to videos showing your stereotypical thin, gorgeous princess figure. This differs from the responses of older girls and women, who tend to feel worse about themselves after viewing videos of thin, lovely models. I’m thinking this is a plus, although I can’t quite put my finger on why. Maybe it’s that these girls don’t compare their bodies to animated princesses?

When I write for middle schoolers and young adults, I think about tackling issues of body image, healthy living, and eating disorders—but I don’t usually think about those things when writing a story for 3-6 year-olds. I wonder if there’s a need.

The Week’s Tweets on how to dodge subconscious blocks and WRITE THE STORY

2009-12-08T14:45:00.000-08:00

WTS=Write the Story!

WTS 29: Immerse yourself in setting--read up on local news. For ex. you might read about the barefoot burglar! http://bit.ly/8BwAsY

WTS 30: Immerse yourself in the sounds of setting--and add in creativity-boosting binaural beats using a product such as www.Brainbaths.com

Skeptical of binaural beats? See http://bit.ly/5t9YPj for more info. For me: they help improve my focus and creativity. Why not try?

WTS 31: Impossible-seeming goals stretch you as a writer + help you learn to access creativity more quickly http://bit.ly/7ybcGN #Nanowrimo

WTS 32: Use the sense of smell to get inside your character's head. See http://bit.ly/505m5v for Debby Dahl Anderson on sensory detail.

…and for my favorite random post of the week: RT from @katert0t LOLCATS NEW MOON. BRINGS JOY. MUST LOOK. http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/7392/newmoonlolcat.jpg

A few more give-aways

2009-12-07T14:24:00.001-08:00

Apparently, it’s impossible to corral all of the writing world’s lovely give-aways in one blog post, so here are a few more to start off your week. Have fun!

8th Grade Superzero giveaway
- By? the Tenner’s
- Who can enter? anyone age 13 or over—one per person
- Deadline? Friday, December 11, 11:59 PM (EST)
- The Deets: “To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post by Friday, December 11 at 11:59 PM (EST) telling us one way that you might be an "agent of positive change" (at home, school, work, in the larger community, among friends, or some sort of change within) in 2010”
- The Prize: signed copy of 8th Grade Superzero!
Deb’s Book Giveaway!
- By? Daisy Whitney
- Who can enter? everyone (I think)
- Deadline: varies—check her blog
- The Deets: Daisy will have a series of contests over the next few weeks. View the video on her blog for more info.
- The Prizes: signed copies of TMI by Sarah Quigley, Exclusively Chloe by J.A. Yang, Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman, My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman and Ash by Malinda Lo
Mentors, Muses, Monsters CONTEST!

By? Editorial Ass
Who can enter? Everyone!
Deadline: December 15, 2009, at 11 pm EST
The Deets: “Create a tribute to (or a character assassination of) someone who contributed significantly (positively or negatively) to your path toward becoming a writer.
Rules: Email me at moonratty@gmail.com your submission in the body of an email. (No attachments please.) The submissions can be any length you like, but please keep in mind I have a fairly short attention span, and that submissions may be judged accordingly. The submissions may be prose, verse, acrostic, or whatever other verbal form inspires you.”
The Prize: “One hardcover copy of MENTORS, MUSES & MONSTERS, signed by Elizabeth Benedict, Lily Tuck, Alexander Chee, Martha Southgate, and Mary Gordon.”

A Completely Non-Exhaustive Roundup of December’s Contests and Giveaways

2009-12-05T11:50:00.001-08:00

‘Tis the season for bloggers and such to try to motivate a bit more reader participation—or to attract new readers—or maybe just to have some random fun interacting with readers. Whatever the reason, I’ve come across a number of contests and giveaways lately, and thought you, dear readers, might enjoy checking them out. Have fun!

Wake and Fade book giveaways
- By? FallenArchangel.com
- Who can enter? Everyone!
- Deadline: Midnight Thursday, December 10
- The Deets:”In order to enter for a chance to win a set of these books, comment here in this thread and tell us about your weirdest dream. Keep it clean and appropriate for all ages please.”
- The Prizes: copies of Wake and Fade by Lisa McMann
FallenArchangel.com FallenArchangel.com ‘Tis the Season of Giving Contest
- By? Writer Girl
- Who can enter? Everyone!
- Deadline: Sunday Dec 13th at 11:59 PST.
- The Deets:
  “It is simple, really. You do a kind deed. It is the time when we really start to think of other people and I love this time of year for that. Do a conscious kind deed, put it up here what you did on this post and that counts as a point. It doesn't have to be big. Not tripping your sister in the hall could count for one. :) Even just smiling at someone that doesn't usually get a smile would be one (and it can be so huge). So you will be earning these books, but in very simple ways. You can get as many points as you want. I will be going off of the honor system here.”
- The Prize: Pick one of three signed books, Rapunzel’s Revenge (Bruce and Shannon Hale), Wintergirls (Laurie Halse Anderson), or The Lightning Thief (Rick Riordan)
Fourth and Final Readergirlz Writing Contest
- By? readergirlz author in residence Beth Kephart
- Who can enter? Everyone!
- Deadline: December 30, 2009
- The Deets: "...a challenge that asks you to look at something familiar and transform it into the unexpected. Check out the video posted here. Send your best work to kephartblogATcomcastDOTnet…The winning work will be posted on this site. Our deadline is December 30, 2009."
- The Prize: an advanced reading copy of The Heart is Not a Size (due out in March from HarperTeen).
Eighteenth Annual Delacorte Yearling Contest for a First Young Adult Novel
- By? Delacorte
- Who can enter? “U.S. and Canadian writers who have not previously published a young adult novel. Employees of Random House, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates, and members of their families and households are not eligible."
- Deadline: December 31, 2009 (postmark)
- The Deets: Submit a manuscript 100-224 pages, cover page, and brief plot summary suited for readers ages 12-18. See here for more info.
- The Prize: “The prize of a book contract (on the publisher’s standard form) covering world rights for a hardcover and a paperback edition, including an advance and royalties, will be awarded annually to encourage the writing of contemporary young adult fiction. The award consists of $1,500 in cash and a $7,500 advance against royalties.”
FreshBrain Video Book Trailer Scholarship
- By FreshBrain organic
- Who can enter? Teens ages 13-18
- Deadline: December 15, 2009
- The Deets: Submit a book trailer between 30 sec-2 min in length on the FreshBrain website. See here for more info.
- The Prize: $1000 scholarship

Recent conversation re. glasses

2009-12-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

Me: Guess what? I’m getting glasses!

10-year-old F: (horrified gasp) You’re kidding!

Me: No, I need glasses.

F: Don’t do it! It will make you look weird.

Me: You know, I’ve been wearing glasses more years of my life than not.

F: But not during the years that I’ve known you.

Me: Don’t worry. I won’t wear them all the time.

F: Ahhhh! (breaks into nearly-realistic sobs of anguish)

I, on the other hand, am ridiculously happy about the glasses. This is the first time in my life when I can pick out any frames I want; when I used to wear them, asymmetrical frames meant Coke-bottle lenses that had to be ground down at the edges so the arms would close. I kid you not.

I haven’t worn glasses or contacts or anything for the past seven or so years, which was nice, but my eyes aren’t bad enough now for me to have to wear them all the time. Meanwhile, it’s like a do-over: I get to pick out cute frames and wear them or not as I please. My inner kid is very, very pleased.

:) Cheryl

Things every writer needs to know

2009-12-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

…or, at least, every writer whose story takes place in the San Juan Islands.

Cell phone coverage is spotty throughout most of the islands.
Sea otters are up and about during the day, when they spend 11-48% of their time grooming. They like to sleep at sea, floating on their backs, often anchored in strands of kelp.
Harbor seals do not migrate.
Harbor seals’ hearing and vision are best underwater. Their vision is black and white and is apparently not essential for survival, since several blind harbor seals have been found living happy and productive lives, with 3.5 children, houses in the suburbs, and 2 car garages.
And harbor seals do NOT touch one another when hauled out onto land.
There are only about ten orcas in the world that intentionally strand themselves on the beach in order to catch their prey—and you can watch video of a strand feeding here.
In June, the sun rises at about 5:10 AM Pacific Daylight time.

I love being a writer….

:) Cheryl

The Week’s Tweets on how to dodge subconscious blocks and WRITE THE STORY

2009-12-01T13:38:00.001-08:00

WTS=Write the Story!

WTS 25: Sometimes, the physical act of writing will trigger a breakthrough. Start small: brainstorm a list of plot twists and surprises.

Newberry winner Susan Patron speaks on tricking your muse (and finding inspiration in the dirty clothes): http://bit.ly/6pJKfB

WTS 26: Brainstorms count as writing! Brainstorm character quirks, flaws, motivations, desires--and see where it takes you.

WTS 27: Take advantage of the brain-body connection. Inspire creativity through movement! http://bit.ly/6QUHNF

More inspiration through movement: Try guided yoga (http://bit.ly/2H6K14) to energize mind and body.

Let a prompt inspire--check out the writing contest over at readergirlz: http://bit.ly/81xHUW

WTS 28: Sign up for monthly inspiration and info in Randy Ingermanson's ezine http://bit.ly/7mGkSj.

...or check out the Dec issue (http://bit.ly/6cFLsv) for tips on creating mood in fiction and tips on keeping yourself accountable.

If you’re interested, come join me at @CherylRWrites for Tweets to help you overcome creative blocks and thrive on the writer’s road!

:) Cheryl

Finished!

2009-11-30T14:45:00.001-08:00

That’s all. Happy happy happy here.

:) Cheryl

Things I’m learning from NaNoWriMo

2009-11-29T13:15:00.000-08:00

I suffered a crisis of confidence during this last week of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for the uninitiated). One week left to write--including Thanksgiving day--and I still had 18,000 words to go.

Could I do it? Maybe.

Was it worth it? I was starting to be less and less certain.

I’ve been demanding a bit more of myself during this year’s event. I’ve been revising (a big no-no) and doing a fair bit of pre-writing, so that when I did write, the material was good. It’s been great for my page output—I’ve written far more than I would have otherwise—but with 18K to the finish line and far too few days to write them, revision and pre-writing would have to go by the wayside. Doubt attacked. Should I be pushing so hard? Am I neglecting family in order to meet a meaningless goal? Will I even be able to use the writing I’m producing?

Time and again, reason told me to quit. Time and again, I kept plugging forward. I knew I probably couldn’t make it, but I couldn’t…quite…give up.

There are a few days left until the finish and, miraculously, I think I’m going to make it. In the end, this year’s NaNo is proving to be incredibly beneficial, despite all my doubts to the contrary. So…here’s my partial list of what I’ve learned during this month of craziness:

You know those little motivational emails NaNo sends out every week to encourage writers forward? They really help. Encouragement isn’t a waste of time, but a way to refill my creative tank.
When doubt attacks, just keep plugging forward. Experience shows that I’ll (eventually) come out on the other side.
I’ve learned that if I practice long enough, even I—and avowed pen-and-paper gal—can learn to write first draft material on the keyboard. It’s much faster!
Even when I feel like I’m writing useless schlock, it’s never long before the scene starts to come to life for me. Maybe I won’t be able to use this draft of the novel word for word, but through the practice of intense word production, I’ve made discoveries that will appear in the final draft. Over and over again.
Reaching for an impossible-seeming goal stretches me in more ways than I ever expect. It’s led to a month of rediscovering what I value about writing—and rediscovering how to balance writing with the rest of my life. It’s also stretched my ability to write quickly, which is a valuable thing for any writer to learn to do.

Even if I don’t write another word this month, I’ve already gained more than expected from this year’s NaNoWriMo.

Sometimes, pushing yourself is the only way to discover what you’re capable of doing…and discovering your best is, I think, one of the keys to thriving on the writer’s road.

:-) Cheryl

The Barefoot Burglar

2009-11-28T08:34:00.001-08:00

I’m writing draft #1 of my latest YA novel—and every once in a while, I lose my forward momentum. That’s usually a sign that I’m missing something. Even though I *attempt* to do a thorough job mapping out plot, characters, and setting ahead of time, I hit inevitable bumps and hitches when I actually write the story. The trick is knowing what to do about them.

One of my favorite strategies is to travel to the area where the story is set—in this case, in the San Juan Islands in the Pacific NW. Unfortunately, I don’t have the funds to hop on a plane, fly up there, and rent a sailboat for a week, so sometimes I substitute research of a more practical bent…like reading the area’s local newspaper.

You gotta love living in a time when you can read about the sheriff’s clothing choice at a recent speech to the San Juan Lion’s Club, or find a blow-by-blow account of the Wolverines’ latest soccer match.

Not that I’ll use the soccer game scores in my book. However, the case of the barefoot burglar is definitely going to inspire some local color for the tale.

The barefoot burglar is a local teen who’s been on an 18-month spree of breaking and entering, theft, and, most recently, joyriding in airplanes. Apparently, he has little trouble avoiding the local police force—which shouldn’t be such a big surprise, because the islands don’t have the manpower to track down one kid on several islands filled with vacation homes, trees, deer, and the occasional bald eagle.

My favorite character in the tale isn’t the kid, though. It’s the mother, who threatened to chase reporters off her property with a shotgun—and then proceeded to give them a lengthy interview. She talks about her son with a mixture of sympathy, worry, and pride. She told reporters "I hope to hell he stole those airplanes — I would be so proud. But put in there that I want him to wear a parachute next time." (from Gene Johnson’s AP article “Teenage burglar moves on to stealing planes, eludes police on islands north of Seattle”.)

Yeah, this is the kind of character detail that makes me grin. Two sentences and you can totally picture this woman, right? Thanks, Ms. Kohler. You’ve helped me find my way back into the story!

:-) Cheryl

Another brain-body link

2009-11-25T08:54:00.000-08:00

As a writer who always has more projects than time to pursue them,* I’m always tempted to spend all my free time writing. ALL, as in skipping meals, sleep, exercise, laundry, and other more or less essential activities.

You probably all know what a bad idea that is…but just in case you need some extra encouragement to step outside your writing space occasionally, recent research published in the Journal of Health Psychology found a direct link between exercise and how people feel about their appearance. That is, people who exercise have a better body image than those who don’t—whether or not they’re actually physically fit. It seems that the act of exercise boosts self-esteem, even if the exercise doesn’t immediately knock off twenty pounds.

In my experience, I write more quickly and productively when I feel good about myself. Kinda cool to know that, in addition to all its other benefits, exercise can help keep my mind in a great place to create!

So…get out and exercise. And then write!

:) Cheryl

*This is a character trait, not a simple question of needing more time; my project list grows to fill all available time plus 25-50%. Believe me, I’ve tested.

Gift Ideas: Books, Books, Books!

2009-11-24T11:28:00.001-08:00

This year, as last, Moonratty over at Editorial Ass has compiled her list of books for a variety of different gift-ees. Looking for a book that will appeal to your 10-year-old niece? Your dad? Your English teacher? Yourself? Visit the Mischief Book List 2009 and enjoy!

The sidetracked writer

2009-11-23T07:59:00.000-08:00

Theoretically, there are many ways a writer might get distracted when working on the first draft of her latest YA project. For instance, she might:

Stop to research the perfect name an orca might give to itself
Need to discover whether harbor seals sleep hauled out on land or if they sleep in the water—and then need to spend time learning about “bottling” (see above pic), the tricky seal habit of sleeping while bobbing upright in the water
Check email, Facebook, etc.
Go to get a coffee refill
Pay attention to the laundry piles growing in the laundry room
…and after all that, she might forget that her original purpose was to write the darned scene, with or without the above information.

This is why all writers need to discover brackets. You keep forward momentum much better when you’re willing to write [insert clever comeback here] instead of stopping the writing to actually come up with said clever comeback.

Could you please remind me of that the next time I stop writing to find out the social habits of harbor seals?

:) Cheryl

This week’s Tweets on how to dodge subconscious blocks and WRITE THE STORY

2009-11-22T08:31:00.000-08:00

Write the Story 22: Obsess on setting: read travel blogs & local news. Plaster pictures on your desktop. Find sounds & smells that inspire.

Write the Story 23: Obsess on sensation: roleplay characters’ physical actions - notice every sensory detail as if for the first time.

…for example: How does it feel to climb out of the sea and have cold wind blow dry your skin?

WTS 24: Mindfulness meditation: how slowing down for a few minutes can speed up your writing (among other benefits) http://bit.ly/66WljH

If you’re interested, come join me at @CherylRWrites for Tweets to help you overcome creative blocks and thrive on the writer’s road.

:) Cheryl

Happy writing thought for the day

2009-11-18T08:49:00.000-08:00

I like it when my readers like something about one of my characters that I like about myself. Not that all my characters—or even most of them—are autobiographical, but bits and pieces of them are. When someone sees a bit of me in my writing, and likes it, that makes me happy :).

Cheryl

Cut the flab!

2009-11-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

I went running again today! This is exciting, because I’d been doing so well, slowly working my way toward running a 5K—and then I had a bit of a tussle with life, travel, and general busy-ness and fell of the running wagon for a few weeks.

Wow, that was a lot of metaphors to mix into a single sentence.

Anyways, my thought for the day was that running would be a lot easier on my knees* if I were about 25 pounds lighter. That became my running chant for the morning: Cut the flab, yes cut the flab! It will motivate me to choose apples over apple pie the next time I wander into the kitchen looking for a snack.

And, since I seem to think of everything in terms of writing, I wondered if the same idea could apply to my writing life. Is there any “flab” I can cut away that will make me a more efficient, more enduring writer? Any energy-drainers that I can eliminate from my life?

So that’s my goal for the day: cut out a bit of mental, emotional, or physical flab, because even if it’s not directly impacting my writing, anything that weighs me down makes forward progress a little bit tougher.

I’m thinking laundry might be the first to go :). That or the silly plant in the living room that won’t quite die** but never looks good. Hmm. This requires thought.

:) Cheryl

*My knees are the rate-limiting factor in my training—my knees conk out while the rest of my body is still happy to keep going.

**Yes, yes, I’ve tried. Trust me. I’ve neglected it, stopped watering it, haven’t fed it in years…but every once in a while someone takes pity on the poor thing and waters it and it hangs onto its pathetic existence a little bit longer. Sigh. What does that say about me, that I haven’t been able to throw out an ugly houseplant for three years?

Okay, dear readers, it’s decided: by the end of the day, the houseplant will meets its maker. I will no longer allow it to suck the life out of me! I will no longer allow…

Um, sorry. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming….

Work in Progress: an excerpt

2009-11-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

After all my posts about orcas, seals, and the San Juan Islands, I thought I’d better prove that I’m actually *writing* about these things. Here’s the opening of my current work-in-progress, a YA realistic fantasy that I’m trying very hard to finish by the end of the month. It begins not in the San Juans, but in Argentina. I hope you enjoy it!

VOICE

I only have one memory of my mother. We’re in the ocean together, riding waves and laughing, me clinging to her neck with one arm while I splash with the other. My feet rest on her side; I can feel the rhythm of her legs pulse through me as she treads water. Dark hair sticks to her face with wet, then fans around her shoulders where it hits the waves.

This is the memory I use to fall asleep at night, so vivid that if I close my eyes, I can taste the salt. I can feel the water’s gentle roll and the sun, warm, against my cheeks.

“It can’t be real, Cass,” Dan says.

Part of me agrees: the facts don’t add up. The water temperature in the Pacific Northwest, where we lived when Mom was alive, is a chilly 48 to 52 degrees Fahrenheit year round, not exactly great for swimming with a toddler. How could it have happened?

But another part of me won’t let it go, because the memory feels true, the kind of true that trumps facts.

I am thinking of this now because there’s a sea lion bobbing in the water just offshore from where I’m sitting. The sight reminds me of how it feels, to float and roll with the waves’ movement. He looks like he’s enjoying himself.

I’m sitting on a rise above a pebbled beach, arms wrapped around my knees so I’ll present the least possible target for the wind gusting in off the Atlantic. I’m watching the sea lions. Most of them have settled on land by this time of evening. Only a few yards from the one in the water, the pebbled beach is carpeted with lumps of fur and flippers, sea lions flopped to rest singly and in piles, like a kid’s toys scattered across the shore. Only a few show signs of life, heaving onto their flippers and hustling to some better spot, and I hear the occasional bark rise above the surf’s roar. Gulls stalk their way between them, ignored by all.

In the water, the sea lion stretches his neck high and peers out to sea.

I have just time to wonder what he might have seen when a black torpedo surges up beside him. It doesn’t break the water’s surface. I can see the sleek, powerful shape as if through blurred glass: an orca, tall dorsal fin slicing upward out of the water, white eye patches sliding beneath a film of wave like twin, misplaced spots of sea foam.

Wind whips away my breath; I’m on my feet, even though I don’t remember standing, as the sea lion leaps clear of the water. His front flippers are flat against his sides, his body a graceful comma, as he arcs through the air and dives into froth—the froth churned by the orca’s thrashing head.

I shouldn’t be seeing this.

…

:) Cheryl

Friday’s Funky Fact

2009-11-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

Your nose might look like a single entity, but when it comes to smelling, the two nostrils seem to operate independently. Denise Chen of Rice University pumped two different odors into a volunteer’s nose. One nostril got a whiff of roses; the other, felt-tipped marker.

The result wasn’t what you might expect. The subject didn’t smell a blend of the two odors. Instead, the smell flip-flipped between the two: they’d smell rose, then marker, and so on.

Seems as if the nostrils have to take turns sending their signals to the brain. Who knew?

I learned this funky fact by listening to the AAAS Science Update podcast, September 24, 2009. Hope you think it’s as cool as I do!

:) Cheryl

This week’s Tweets on how to dodge subconscious blocks and WRITE THE STORY

2009-11-12T08:59:00.001-08:00

Write the Story 14: New blog post – researching first love http://bit.ly/QIfXo [Okay, that’s a bit self-referential, but I didn’t want to confuse the rare individual who might actually be keeping track of my bizarre numbering system]

Write the Story 15: Success inspires: Enter a contest such as THE WRITER’s scholarship competition http://bit.ly/48hgAJ (due 3/1/10)

...or enter the Pike’s Peak Writers contest http://bit.ly/3jKf0E (due 11/15/09) for critiques and a chance to meet an editor or agent

Write the Story 16: Train to write the way you'd train for a race--and sign up for a "race" like NaNo for motivation http://bit.ly/4uQWiw

Write the Story 17: Explore place. Need ideas how to do so? Check out the November 2009 issue of The Writer

Write the Story 18: Seek fire's hypnotic inspiration—at your own fireplace (if you’re so lucky), a local Starbucks, or in a candle’s flame .

Write the Story 19: The more intensively you write, the more you need to refuel: read great books, walk down the street, people watch!

Write the Story 20: Dig for ideas - see blog post "On prairie dogs, seeds, and elusive ideas" http://bit.ly/pphtW

Write the Story 21: Obsess. Imagine your next scene while falling asleep; let your subconscious work; wake early to write what results!

If you’re interested, come join me at @CherylRWrites for Tweets to help you overcome creative blocks and thrive on the writer’s road.

:) Cheryl