Comments on Inkwell Inspirations: Race to the Finish

CJ, this is great, and I love the idea of writing ...

2012-01-26T23:55:04.131-05:00

CJ, this is great, and I love the idea of writing sprints. Very cool. I'd love to try this with anyone who's interested.

Oh, and I love the Biblical tie-in.

DeAnna & Deb -- I don't do the sprints the...

2012-01-26T21:50:13.579-05:00

DeAnna & Deb -- I don't do the sprints the way you're "supposed" to. I tend to prefer to write slowly and then have very little revising to do. But it still works for me. The sprint makes me focus intently (let the answering machine get the phone, no email allowed, etc.) for a block of time. And it adds accountability.

So, I have much lower word counts than most of the people in the sprint, but I'll have very little revising later. Hopefully, it all works out.

Barb -- laundry is definitely a marathon. Every ti...

2012-01-26T21:46:10.659-05:00

Barb -- laundry is definitely a marathon. Every time you think the finish line is near, there's another load ready to be washed.

My husband's doc suggested vitamin D in winter. Fortunately, we live in a place with quite a few mild and sunny days. Where my in-laws live, ugh. Very cloudy, especially in the winter.

DeAnna, did you say you had trouble posting a comm...

2012-01-26T21:08:49.640-05:00

DeAnna, did you say you had trouble posting a comment? I see it worked.

Oh yes, the Vitamin D problem. We've had a lot of gray days and no snow. At least the snow might 'reflect' a little sunshine on us.

Time to take those supplements, girls!

I have been doing the writing sprints via a FB group. It certainly helps. I can only do it when I'm writing first draft, though, because I can't figure out how to count words when I'm editing.
In the last two days I've read through and edited my 98k novel twice. I certainly can't count that in my @1k1hr group!

Ugh. Atrophy. So very, very easy to do. I like ...

2012-01-26T19:57:19.732-05:00

Ugh. Atrophy. So very, very easy to do.

I like the idea about the writing sprints!

This is the time of year, when the days are short ...

2012-01-26T19:34:42.200-05:00

This is the time of year, when the days are short and my vitamin D starts to lag, that, instead of sprinting--or even plodding--I want to hibernate.

Writing sprints might help. Going to have to try that. And then I need cleaning sprints, laundry sprints...

Susanne, isn't it so easy to atrophy (in our w...

2012-01-26T16:32:21.409-05:00

Susanne, isn't it so easy to atrophy (in our writing and in all aspects of life, including spiritual) if we don't keep plugging away?

Suzanne, Yes, the sprints force you to write even...

2012-01-26T16:30:03.216-05:00

Suzanne,

Yes, the sprints force you to write even when you aren't sure what to write, so that you get something down on the page. Of course, it helps if you have an outline ahead of time -- kind of like life, I guess.

Ooo, Deb. I love your thought about God keeping us...

2012-01-26T13:56:44.949-05:00

Ooo, Deb. I love your thought about God keeping us going up and downhill to keep us from picking up the weight again. What a way to look at life's ups and downs.

Great post, CJ. I needed the reminder to just keep...

2012-01-26T13:14:00.110-05:00

Great post, CJ. I needed the reminder to just keep on moving--spiritually and in my writing! Thanks.

I learned the value of writing sprints while doing...

2012-01-26T12:07:56.542-05:00

I learned the value of writing sprints while doing Nano. The writing a sprint produced was far from my best, but it forced me to think about what came next. It's a great tool for when you're stuck and not sure where to take a scene. Even if I have to do several to explore a variety of options, it helps me to hone in on what will work and where I want the story to go.

Weights we can set down and leave behind...Weight ...

2012-01-26T10:25:44.495-05:00

Weights we can set down and leave behind...Weight on the other hand, when it's part of us, can't be set down but can be reduced (the unwanted stuff) as we continue the race. Both examples are good symbols of what we tend to carry.

In the TV show The Biggest Loser, the contestants near the end have to try to run or do an activity wearing or carrying the lbs of weight they lost. They are often shocked at how difficult it is and to realize that was the burden they'd carried. An excellent reason not to 'gain it back' or symbolically pick it up again.

Maybe that's why God keeps us moving uphill and downhill when we let him lead. To keep us from picking up the burdens he's teaching us to leave behind.

Dina, the other versions I think use the term &quo...

2012-01-26T08:49:52.928-05:00

Dina, the other versions I think use the term "weight," and I always picture a runner carrying weights. Hard to get very far that way.

No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. That ...

2012-01-26T08:25:52.988-05:00

No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.

That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

Two great lines compliments of The Message translation to ruminate today. I love the way that version sparks things to life in my mind.

It's sort of the athletes version of my "Learn to live freely and lightly" and "The unforced rhythms of grace" that I love so much as a dancer. In fact, I blogged on those scriptures this week over at Laurie Alice's blog.

Thanks for the encouragement today, CJ.