Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Jessica Bell, Interviewed

It was at this time last year that Jessica Bell and I were working together in an effort to finish the first drafts of our novels-in-progress.  I was re-writing my NaNo novel and having trouble restructuring the plot with the new cast of characters I’d swapped for the less vibrant players in the NaNo version.  Jessica was drafting Bitter Like Orange Peel, her second novel which was underway but moving slower than she would have liked.  We swapped chapters every Friday, spent the weekends reading and critiquing, and then met on Skype for a live chat when we discussed our notes.  It was a wonderful time of honest collaboration during which I learned a lot about my own writing style and the art of penning the novel.  And I owe much of that to working with the genius mind of Jessica Bell. She is THE best!

About two and a half months into our writing schedule, Jessica caught the attention of Janice Phelps Williams, founding publisher for Lucky Press, LLC. Janice had requested the full manuscript of Jessica’s first novel, then titled Dead in the Corner of My Bedroom.   It was an exciting time, a hope-filled time when our fingers were crossed so tightly we lost feeling in our hands.  And finally, after Jessica worked her butt off to make changes in her MS that reflected the suggestions Janice sent her, her newly renamed novel String Bridge was contracted for publication through Lucky Press.

I’m so happy for Jessica’s success and it is with love and pride in my heart that I bring you the following interview with my dear friend, Jessica Bell.


1.       How did the idea for String Bridge first come to you?  Did it begin with a character, a theme, a story line, or something else?

I don’t think there is one thing from the first draft that is in the final version, so regarding ‘getting the idea,’ it wasn’t like an idea just hit me and I started writing about it. It was gradual, and developed more and more with each revision. The thing with this book is that I never really ‘focused’ on plot. It was more about the characters and their emotions and their interactions with each other. This book is very much centered on the ‘effect’ rather than the ‘cause.’ Even though music doesn’t define me as much as writing does, it is still a big part of my life. The inspiration for the book came about when I was thinking about a time in my life when music was all I ever wanted to breathe. Even though my priorities had changed then, I still wanted to write about the power music has over someone who is so passionate about it. But I think music could be replaced by any sort of passion in String Bridge, because basically the story is about needing something more than you need yourself.

2.       String Bridge is a triumph in character-driven storytelling.  And the accompanying soundtrack to the book is an absolutely brilliant idea, both as a way to heighten, for readers, the emotional impact of Melody’s conflicts, and as a marketing tool.  How did that project come to be?

The songs that appear in the book started off as poems. Then it occurred to me that I could create and produce an album for Melody. That’s when the idea for my book trailer came about after listening to a few of my mother’s songs on YouTube. The poems then turned into lyrics. When I finished the final revisions I sat down and wrote music to the four songs that appear in the book. Once those were done, I wrote six more songs to create Melody’s album. I’m hoping this album will create a little more interest in the book, than the book itself is capable of, as I can actually market the music to an audience that probably wouldn’t look twice at the book without the album existing.

3.       Such a brilliant idea!  Let’s talk more about the book, now.  So many times, an author slips a slice of her soul into her main character, shaping the character by drawing from her own perceptions and life experiences.  How much of your soul does Melody carry inside her?

It’s quite hard to say, to be honest. I could try and give you a percentage of how much of myself is in Melody, but I think I would always change my mind. I think every writer puts themselves into every character, but the similarities come through in waves which depend on various factors, such as mood, while writing. For example, I’m as emotional and passionate as Melody is. I’m as cheeky as Tessa is. Depending on the circumstances, I can get as cold and aggressive as Betty and Alex, and as passive and timid and obedient as James. I can sometimes be as boisterous as Heather and as caring and generous as Serena. I can even be quite selfish at times, which I think each and every character in String Bridge is as some point or another, and so is each and every person on this planet at some point in their lives. There is always going to be a piece of the author in every single book they write. And that cannot be avoided.

4.       We meet Melody when she’s in a very dark, low place in her emotional life.  How were you able to channel those emotions each time you sat down to work on the project?

Though touched by a few very dark moments in my life, it was mostly instinctual. There were times though, when I was writing, where I felt my instincts might be wrong. There were so many times I wondered whether what I was writing was too melodramatic. I didn’t want the book to become a soap opera. I really had to sit back during those moments and close my eyes and put myself in Melody’s shoes, and ask myself, “How would you react if your husband did this to you? How would it make you feel? Does this reaction suit Melody’s character?” Sometimes my possible reactions didn’t suit her character and I had to alter them accordingly, but trying to live it in my mind certainly helped. Personally, if I were in Melody’s situation, I wouldn’t have put up with as much as she did. I also probably would have slapped myself in the face and told myself to snap out of it and take a look at all the blessings I have in life.
Mind you, I can’t deny how many times I bawled my eyes out after writing this book. It certainly was taxing on my mental state. Sometimes I even felt myself slipping into her depression. I usually had to take a few days break to feel ‘normal’ again between rewrite sessions.

5.       I’m not surprised; there were scenes when I was bawling my eyes out too!  As much as an author can invent feelings and reactions for their characters, you wrote String Bridge at a time in your life before parenthood.  Life with children is a reality often difficult to imagine without direct experience.  What was it like creating four-year-old Tessa?  From where did you draw inspiration for her personality, mannerisms and word choices? 

I think I created her to be the daughter I hope to have. I’ve worked with kids her age before in a few English schools here in Athens, so I drew a few observations from that experience. But mostly it was guess work.  There were also a few times as I was writing when I thought about a home video my grandmother took of me singing in her garden when I was four or five. I guess you could say Tessa is a bit like I was as a kid.

6.       Mother-daughter relationships play important roles in this story.  Did the exploration of the dynamics between Melody and Tessa, and between Melody and Betty, become a cathartic experience for you?  Did their story lines reflect your own hopes or fears about parenthood?
 
Yes, it certainly did. I love and adore kids. I can’t imagine never having the chance to bring a child into this world. But ever since discovering I wanted to write, and doing so consistently, I haven’t thought about children so often. I’m always asking myself, do I really want to bring a child into the world if I can’t see myself sacrificing time for it? I haven’t answered that question yet. I know women think they can have it all. And I’m sure we can to some degree if we really put our minds to it. But there are only a certain amount of hours in a day and there’s always going to be something that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. I’m not sure I’m willing to struggle with that. Not yet anyway. Let’s hope my biological clock keeps ticking until I can finally take the plunge.

7.       Speaking of the time you consecrate to your craft, how long did it take you to write String Bridge, from beginning the first draft to completing the finished manuscript?

I spent about five years writing it because it went through about seven different revisions. Although it wasn’t the first thing I’d ever written. I was still learning along the way. And you know what? It still doesn’t feel finished to me. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with ideas on how to improve it. That can be a bit annoying actually, because now it’s impossible. Ha!

8.       I can relate to that!  Is a story ever, truly, finished?? *shakes her head no* Everyone’s story about how they landed their book contract is different, but a common thread that connects everyone seems to be the emotional roller coaster ride of the journey.  What was your path to publication like, for you?

Full of tears and low self-esteem and realizations about my strengths and weaknesses, eureka moments, rejections, more tears, doubts, high self-expectations, not being sure if I could cope with all the let downs, but pushing through anyway. But one thing I’m very proud to say is that I never ever had one thought of giving up. It just wasn’t an option for me. It was the first thing I have ever ever ever wanted so much in my entire life. I wasn’t going to let it go over a few years of pressure.

9.      What’s next for Author Jessica Bell?  Any new projects you can tell us about?

My second novel, Bitter Like Orange Peel, is about a twenty-five year old Australian archaeology undergraduate named Kit, who doesn’t like to get her hands dirty. She feels misplaced and comes to the conclusion that meeting her father, Roger, will make some sense of her life, despite him being worth the rotting orange rind in her backyard. Well, at least that’s what she’s been conditioned to think of him by the three women in her life: Ailish, her mother—an English literature professor who communicates in quotes and clichés, and who still hasn’t learned how to express emotion on her face; Ivy, her half-sister—a depressed professional archaeologist, with a slight case of nymphomania, who fled to America after a divorce to become a waitress; and Eleanor, Ivy’s mother—a pediatric surgeon who embellishes her feelings with medical jargon, and who named her daughter after intravenous. Against all three women’s wishes, Kit decides to find Roger, but in doing so, discovers he is not the only rotten fruit.

My third novel, Muted, is set in Arles, France, in a totalitarian society where it is illegal to wear clothes. In some streets, it's also illegal to sing without accompanying instruments. Concetta, a famous Italian a cappella singer from before “the change,” breaks these laws. As punishment, her vocal chords are brutally slashed and her eardrums surgically perforated. Unable to cope with living a life without song, she resolves to drown herself in the river, clothed in a dress stained with performance memories from her hometown, Milan. But Concetta's suicide attempt is cut short as someone grabs her by the throat and pulls her to the surface. Is it the busking harpist, who encouraged her to feel music through vibration, acting as saviour? Or a street warden on the prowl for another offender to detain? From this moment, the reader will discover how Concetta came to be in this position, and what will happen to her after the suicide attempt.

Muted will explore a variety of themes such as overcoming loss, coping with mental illness and disability, dealing with discrimination, loss of freedom, inhibited self-expression, motivation to succeed, escaping oppression, expression through art and music, self-sacrifice, channelling the thoughts of the deceased, and challenging moral views and values.

So many projects in the works!  Best of luck with all of them, and everything the future holds for you.  Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and your stories with us!

Thank you so much for having me, Nicole!

Purchase links:
eBook




Paperback:


Amazon UK: (Coming soon)



Soundtrack:

Jessica's links:
String Bridge Website: http://www.stringbridge.com/

                    
Jessica Bell is a literary women's fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter who grew up in Melbourne, Australia, to two gothic rock musicians who had successful independent careers during the '80s and early '90s. She spent much of her childhood travelling to and from Australia to Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet feeling equally at home in both environments. She currently lives in Athens, Greece and works as a freelance writer/editor for English Language Teaching publishers worldwide, such as HarperCollins, Pearson Education and Macmillan Education. In addition to String Bridge, Jessica has published a book of poetry called Twisted Velvet Chains. A full list of poems and short stories published in various anthologies and literary magazines can be found under Published Works & Awards, on her website. From September 2012 Jessica will be hosting the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca, home of Odysseus.







                                    
Posted by Unknown 9 comments

Friday, November 4, 2011

Beginning is aMAZE-ing

After three days of NaNoWriMo, I'm happy to say that at 5400+ words, I'm on track with my word count. (Of course, today I have a long run planned and I have to grocery shop...so I know I'll slip behind again before Monday. I'm not worried; you shouldn't be either. haha)

I'll tell you this:  Writing the beginning of a novel is ridiculously difficult for me.

Thank God for NaNo writing buddies, a group of whom I've been emailing with during the past couple days.  (*waves to Summer, Lola, Portia, JP, and Tara*)  I mentioned in an email how much I struggle getting the opening scenes down, and I was surprised to learn that many other writers battle the same thing.

The root of the problem, for me, is the evolution of my writer's journey, to date.  My path thus far has been paved with the short story.  Since 2007, I've been honing the skills necessary to write successful short fiction.  A short story focuses on one significant moment in time.  Due to the constrained space in which you're writing, you don't indulge in a great deal of exposition.  What the reader learns about the character is only what is necessary to understand his motivations and conflicts in that moment.  And the majority of expositional information comes to the reader through clever characterization clues you drop here and there, meant not only to enlighten the reader but also to encourage her connect-the-dots participation intended to heighten her reading experience.

Backstory info-dumping is a cardinal sin, in short fiction.

When I write the opening scenes of a longer work, I'm overwhelmed by the space I'm afforded.  The room I have to develop characters freaks me out.  I feel like Little Red Dude in front of that maze, up there.

Donald Maass warns in Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook that one of the most common ways writers lose their readers is to bog them down with unnecessary backstory.  I'm quoting him here from page 141:

"Again and again in manuscripts I find my eyes skimming over backstory passages in chapters one, two, and even three.  Backstory doesn't engage me, because it doesn't tell a story.  It does not have tension to it, usually, or complicate problems.  However, once problems have been introduced, backstory can be artfully deployed to deepen them.  It can be particularly useful in developing inner conflicts."

This makes me feel much better, because it gives me permission to handle the opening chapters like short stories, sort of.  Also, part of my NaNo strategy included preparing scene cards on which I've written one summarizing sentence to guide my writing, so that I know what storytelling goals I want to achieve in each scene.  All good, all good.

Still, the first three scenes were slow going and, frankly, suck.  But, as my sweet friend Lola said in an email yesterday:

"Beginnings are hard...trying to get settled in to a new story is the hardest part. It's like working out or running...at first you just don't wanna, muscles are cold, can't get a rhythm going...then you hit a zone.

You can't edit a blank page, so don't worry about your first scenes sucking.  Give yourself permission to suck and fix it later. I really believe we have to write ourselves into the story, to even find the REAL story. So ease on in and   let go of perfectionism for your first draft. Save that angst for a later pass. :)"

Thanks, Lola!!  What would I do without all the awesome support from my writing peeps??  And, I'm reminded of another thing:  I have a ten-mile training run planned for this morning.  Time to warm up those cold muscles and get into that zone.

Plus, that will give me an hour and a half to mull over the next scene and get ready for today's NaNo writing session!

Do you stuggle with the beginning too?  Any support, suggestions, or offers to send me presents are greatly appreciated.  (J/K about the presents!  Unless, you want to send something... :p) 
                                    
Posted by Unknown 12 comments

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

String Bridge -- A Review

Jessica Bell’s debut novel String Bridge is the story of Melody, an Australian musician who put down her guitar to raise a family with her Greek husband. Four years later and living on his native soil, Melody realizes she’s become the empty, passionless shell of the person she once was. A return to music is the key to her salvation. But her struggle to decipher her dark feelings, to understand when they are surging from a place of honesty and when they are the result of her own fears or selfishness, threatens to turn all their lives upside-down. And when fate flings tragedy her way, she learns some bridges are easier to cross than others.


 I was mesmerized by this book. The narration is raw and unapologetic, from deep inside Melody’s complicated heart and psyche. Her fragileness and her egocentricity were exposed in a way that felt naked and truthful. I loved the way each scene peeled away another of Melody’s layers, allowing me to eventually understand her as well as she could understand herself.


 Melody’s relationships with the people in her life were as important to the story as her relationship with her music. The genius in Bell’s writing lies in her ability to show each character in authentic light and to therefore demonstrate one of life’s truths: no one is 100% right or 100% wrong in his/her convictions. Responsibility and culpability spin in cycles of blame and redemption in String Bridge, which left me with a healthy dose of pathos for every character, by the book’s end.


Bell writes with poetic flourish, her descriptions lush, poignant and intense. At the same time, her main character is quirky, oftentimes ungraceful and unpolished. The combination creates a style that is fresh, unique, and wholly intoxicating. This character-driven story that dives into the abyss of the human condition is a must-read!






I would be horribly remiss if I didn't mention how Jessica Bell set her first published book apart from this year's debut novels.  An incredibly creative and multi-talented woman, Jessica created and recorded a soundtrack of songs she composed and performed, available now through iTunes and Amazon.  I talked with Jessica about both String Bridge projects in an interview I conducted with her, which I will post here next week, on November 8th.  I hope you'll stop in for that!


Until then, here are several links where you can order your own copy of String Bridge and its soundtrack, Melody Hill, On the Other Side, sold separately.


Purchase links:
eBook




Paperback:


Amazon UK: (Coming soon)


Soundtrack:

Jessica's links:
String Bridge Website: http://www.stringbridge.com/

                    
Jessica Bell is a literary women's fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter who grew up in Melbourne, Australia, to two gothic rock musicians who had successful independent careers during the '80s and early '90s. She spent much of her childhood travelling to and from Australia to Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet feeling equally at home in both environments. She currently lives in Athens, Greece and works as a freelance writer/editor for English Language Teaching publishers worldwide, such as HarperCollins, Pearson Education and Macmillan Education. In addition to String Bridge, Jessica has published a book of poetry called Twisted Velvet Chains. A full list of poems and short stories published in various anthologies and literary magazines can be found under Published Works & Awards, on her website. From September 2012 Jessica will be hosting the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca, home of Odysseus.

                
Posted by Unknown 17 comments

Thursday, October 27, 2011

NaNo Gauntlet Throw Down

All right, after walking around with a NaNoWriMo gauntlet in my hand, fingering its tanned texture, putting it to my nose and inhaling its organic, rawhide perfume, and examining the crease points down its palm, I'm throwing it down.  It's no matter that my last NaNo experience produced a 50k+ (though incomplete) manuscript that I was never able to finish.  No matter that I have family flying in from out-of-state to enjoy Thanksgiving at my house.  No matter that I'm training for my second half-marathon.  I'm going for it.  I'm doing NaNo this year!


But won't it be too much for you, silly girl?


Why no, it won't.  Here's my reasoning:


So what that the first NaNo novel was a disaster in word vomit?  I wasn't prepared, last time.  I had an idea for my main plot and for the protag and the antag.  This time, I have a well-organized project with complete character sketches for all the major cast members, a plot (with actual plot points!), that has been broken down into three chunks representing the beginning of the book, the middle, and the end, and 38 scene cards  -- each index card bears a scene goal and notes -- to guide my draft.  At least this time, my word vomit will be organized and revision-able.  (<-- pretty sure that's not a word.  See? I'm embracing the spirit of NaNo all ready!)


So what if I have family coming in for a whole week in November?  Last time I did NaNo, I hit the 50K mark in the third week of the month -- well before Thanksgiving.


So what if I'm running five days a week?  The half-marathon is in March 2012.  I have plenty of wiggle room before my training becomes uber-intense.  P-l-e-n-t-y of time!


So, what about you?  You in?  Or are you still arguing with yourself about whether NaNo 2011 is for you?  Talk to me about your concerns or planning/lack thereof in the comments.  I will be sending return emails this week.  Everyone needs NaNo support!


Also, they're still working to get the Buddies tab back up and running at NaNoWriMo.org.  Once it's operational, let's be buddies! I'm Nicole Ducleroir, over there too :))  (I'm getting my profile together and it'll be filled out and pretty by the day's end.)


Hope to hear from you! :D
                                    
Posted by Unknown 20 comments

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Goals, and a GREAT article on lit. mags

Two writer goals I set for myself in January 2011 were:  Publish a short story in a literary magazine; and, Sell a short story.  I'm working toward other goals too, but this afternoon I want to focus on the two above.

To accomplish the goal of publishing in a literary magazine, I organized myself in a couple areas.  First, I created an account at Duotrope.com.  For those who aren't familiar, Duotrope is "an award-winning, free writers' resource listing over 3550 current Fiction and Poetry publications." (Text borrowed from website.)  This is my Submission Central, where I learn of markets open for query and where I track my submissions.

Using Duotrope's tools, I determined what literary magazines represent my A-List Markets -- in other words, where I'd most like to see my work accepted.  I won't lie; the magazines and reviews on this list are all ranked by Duotrope as the "Most Challenging Fiction Markets," with an average acceptance rate of only 0.51%.  Hey, what can I say?  I aim high.

I also have a B-List and a C-List of literary markets I'm interested in.  I first submit a story to a batch of A-List markets.  As I receive rejections, I submit to markets in the next tier down.  Finding the right market, for the right story, at the right time is an exercise in patience and perseverance.

The second goal ups the stakes for me.  I want to be a paid author.  I'm not interested in making a living on my writing.  But there is, for me personally, a level of prestige that comes along with an editor viewing my fiction as a product that he or she is willing to purchase in order to best achieve his or her marketing objectives.  Selling a story is on my bucket list and this is the year I've decided to cross it off.

Today I came across an excellent article written by literary magazine editor Lynne Barrett, which I found extremely helpful.  I wanted to pass the link on to anyone who, like me, is submitting their work to literary markets.  In fact, I think the advice is pertinent to any writer submitting work of any length, because it covers the importance of following submission guidelines, how to handle rejections of various types and lengths, and the proper protocol when responding to an acceptance.


I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Thanks for stopping by~ 



Posted by Unknown 10 comments

Friday, October 14, 2011

Newsworthy Tid-bits!


Is it Friday already??  I hope you've had as productive a week as I have.  Here are a couple headlines I'd like to share, that made my week a fab one:

«  Yesterday I listened to a live stream of Jessica Bell being interviewed on a  Greek radio station.  (Technology rocks!)  The interviewer asked questions in Greek and translated the answers Jessica provided in English.  (Her voice is so lovely!)  In addition, between questions the station played songs from the soundtrack that was born from String Bridge, Jessica's debut novel which drops on Nov. 1st.  (Jessica wrote the lyrics and sings all the songs.)

If you missed it, don't despair!  Here's a link to the archive:

http://stokokkino.gr/ekpompes/post-rock/2011-10-13.mp3/view


«  Speaking of String Bridge, I am participating in the upcoming launch and blog book tour.  Please come back and visit me on Nov. 2nd when I will review String Bridge, and again on Nov. 8th when I will interview Jessica.  I've prepared some very interesting questions and frankly, I can't wait to find out how Jessica answers them!


«  I've met another rising star in the blogosphere to introduce to those who don't know her yet.  Melanie McCullough's debut YA novel Breathe will launch on Nov. 11th, 2011.  As part of her 100+ blog followers celebration, she's hosting a give-away.  Check out her blog and join the fun by clicking here: A New Kind of Ordinary


«  In personal news, I averted elimination three times now and have advanced to the final round of the speculative fiction writing contest I'm competing in at Writing.com.  The prompt for the final round is a series of photos, each with eerie and cryptic captions.  Drawing inspiration from at least one photo and text, I have to write a short story in any genre and of any length.  I have one week to submit.  Wish me luck!


«  Also, I am up to 11 miles on my long training runs.  The Athens Half Marathon is just around the corner (Oct. 23rd) and I'm getting more excited with each passing day.


«  Lastly, tomorrow I'm walking with my family in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's annual Walk For A Cure.  We are part of a team called William's Warriors.  William is a boy who lives across the street, who fell ill a couple winters ago with a nasty virus that triggered the onset of juvenile diabetes in his body.  The outbreak of the virus in the schools led to a sharp and disturbing rise in the number of new juvenile diabetes cases in our community.  It could have been my kids.  So scary.  So we walk every year to show our support and raise money for the research that will, one day, eradicate this heinous disease.

If you are in the Atlanta, GA area this weekend and would like to walk with us, contact me!  [NicoleDucleroir(at)gmail(dot)com]  And, if you'd just like to make a small donation, won't you follow the link below?

William Trimble's Personal Page at Walk to Cure Diabetes


Thank you so much!!!!!!
                                    
Posted by Unknown 10 comments

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Believe You CAN

When I take an honest look at my life, I realize every failed attempt at a goal could be attributed to one simple fact: I didn't believe I could achieve it. And the greatest failure of my adult life has been attempting to write a full-length novel.

During NaNoWriMo 2009, I wrote twenty-four chapters of Overcome, my first-ever novel work-in-progress. It was over 50,000 words and so a success, by NaNo standards. But in the course of 2010, I tried with increasing levels of desperation to write that story through to the end. I couldn't do it. I tried everything, including scrapping the partially written first draft and returning to the plotting stage. When my creative steam fizzled out nineteen chapters into the second first draft, I faced an ugly truth: I couldn't write the novel. And that truth was a fertile bed for fear. I was afraid I'd never write a novel.

You hear the phrases all the time: The Power of Positive Thinking; Self-fulfilling Prophesy; Positive Mindset. Rhonda Byrne sparked a phenomenon in her book The Secret, which is, in itself, a metaphor for believing a dream into reality. Byrne says, "Your current thoughts are creating your future life. What you think about the most or focus on the most will appear as your life." 1

Though writing is still on my front burner, there's another goal brewing in a pot next to it. You see, a couple months ago I took on a new goal, one that has me face-to-face with those principles of self-belief. The lessons I'm (re)learning have filtered through my new experiences and trickled down to my writing.

My new goal: On October 23rd, I will run my first half marathon. A 13.1-mile race is a lofty goal for someone who has never been a runner. I mean, jogging on a dreadmill at the gym a couple times a week, hardly qualified me as a runner. When a girlfriend recently shared her passion for long distance races, I told her it sounded wonderful...but wasn't for me. After all, I said, I'm not a runner.

But you know how it goes: a conversation stays with you, quietly tapping the shoulder of your mind until you finally turn and cry, "What? What do you want from me?" And at the time I was feeling blue, bored with life's regular chug-along. Two days later the weather was gorgeous. It was the first day to signal the end of summer with a bright blue, haze-free sky and low humidity. I decided to forego my gym workout and try an outdoors run.

It was ridiculously hard. My ankles and hip flexors ached, and my thigh muscles burned. I had to keep slowing to a walk to catch my breath. My lungs felt two sizes too small. I don't think I lasted even three miles. But something happened to me out there, sweating in the fresh air. Being outside, free from the stale, recycled air of the gym, unlocked a reserve of resolve I didn't know I had. And, I enjoyed the challenge of trying something new. That day, I decided I was going to be a runner.

I decided I was going to be a runner. When I told this to friends who are runners, they shared lots of suggestions for my success, including tips on training schedules, ideas for diet plans, and pointers on hydration and electrolyte replacement. But the overwhelming piece of advice offered to me was this: Believe you can do it.

Six weeks of training later, I've learned to what extent running is a mental activity. During the difficult legs of a course, particularly up the inclines or through the final miles of a long run, your mind must cheer your body on. Yes you can keep going! You've been up steeper hills than this! You're strong, you CAN make it!

Now, I run up hills without breaking stride or stressing my cardio-vascular system, because even though it's tough, I know I can make it. Twice now I've completed ten-mile training runs. Ten miles! With three weeks of training still ahead of me, I know I can finish a half marathon by race day. I believe it, because I am a runner.

"See the things that you want as already yours. Know that they will come to you at need. Then let them come. Don't fret and worry about them. Don't think about your lack of them. Think of them as yours, as belonging to you, as already in your possession." -- Robert Collier (1885-1950) 2


Not at all coincidentally, work on Piper Crow, (the working title of my second attempt at a novel) has been exciting and productive. This time, I will not let fear sniggle its way into my heart. I can write a novel because I believe I can do it.

After all, I am a novelist. 




         
[The above article was written by me and originally appeared today in the Drama Newsletter at Writing.com.]       

Thanks for reading!    

                 
Posted by Unknown 20 comments
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