Quit before you rip

Saturday morning, which meant a spot of gymnastics before nine hours of sitting here at the desk on my bohocus! I focused on bars, especially, which is not only a fun upper-body workout but is a compounding practice: You build up skills, even as you build up the calluses on your palms . . . and if you go too many days without practicing, you lose both! heh. On any given day, the trick becomes to stop practicing bars before you get a dreaded "rip," which may be an impressive war-wound that marks you as a real gymnast, but also prevents you from practicing for awhile. Back to square one. So when I felt that sharp little burn on my palm, I stopped. No doubt some palmist could look at my hand and proclaim, hmm! Steady, patient, independent; writer, artist . . . recreational gymnast.

Last night was a lovely interlude with a new writer's group called "Writers who Read," which I saw on Meetup and decided to attend on the spur of the moment. It was their first meeting, so now I have a new group of word-enthusiasts to hobnob with as well as homework! We discussed a book called "Reading like a Writer" by Francine Prose, which I now can't wait to sink my mind into. The way home via bike, alas, was very cold and very wet and my fingers were numb by the time I reached my apartment!

Edge is being read by Dad and two friends; I now need the guts to send it to everyone else. I also heard back from a dear writing lady named Tina Connolly (author of Ironskin) who sent me a sheet of tips as well as the general process for finding an agent and publisher . . . Thanks, Tina! Now the real fun begins. Tina says: "It can be a discouraging process, so don't get discouraged!"

When in doubt, I say . . . remember the crap that does get published.

I am gearing up to begin the second, having trouble with plot linking, but I recalled how the plot of the first seemed to fall together as I wrote; I am confident this will happen again, with perhaps a bit of planning beforehand and along the way.

This past Wednesday began a five-week series on meditation. I am no beginner, but it always helps to be reminded of basic techniques -- and again, and again. The woman is very sweet and it was simply good to be there. Some of what I learned promptly went into my writing, as my life invariably enriches my work.

On that note . . . back to work!