Friday, November 2, 2012

The Writing Life: The Dangers of Exercise

Okay, yesterday was the first day of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and tens of thousands of people worldwide are participating in the annual challenge to write a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month. I am one of those who join the insanity. It is an intense, fun, frustrating, and ultimately fulfilling things you can do as a writer -- especially if you are just starting out. Between the NaNoWriMo website and the Facebook pages that support it, the writer has a huge pool of support. The writers chat, challenge one another, and help out when one is stumped with a problem. It opens the channels of creativity. Sometimes with startling results.

This afternoon I took a break for a nap and exercise. The nap was solid and I awoke refreshed and ready to exercise. As my blood flow began to increase, so did my brain activity. Naturally, my thoughts turned to thoughts of my book and how it was taking on a whole different patina than it had in my notes. Not out of character for me, but actually falling into a more familiar, more appropriate one -- one that guarantees that it will be a unique, one-of-a-kind novel.

From there my brain went a bit crazy and before I was finished with my exercises, I had seven additional solid book ideas. And every single one of them funnier than the last. Several of them were inspired by my newborn great niece, Bethany. I had to race to the computer and write them all down.

I can't wait to see what I am going to do with The Extra Large Medium.

Last week the exercise had released a crazy wonderful idea for the description of one of my main character's ex-boyfriends. 

No telling what tomorrow's exercise will bring, it is this way that danger lies. I could end up deluged with more ideas than I can handle, but I'm ready -- I think. I hope. When it comes to ideas -- I'm taking all comers. It must be something in the physical activity that really gets the gray matter mattering!

Perhaps I will be able to exercise my way to fame and fortune.