30 Days of Fika Books: Twelve
Today I plan to walk a wee marathon. Without leaving my office.
Writers have many enemies, and chief amongst these is a healthy resting heart rate. Every day is a constant struggle to both write enough to, yanno, earn a living, and also move my arse enough to avoid bed sores. The sensible thing would be to write for a few hours, go for a nice big walk at lunchtime and repeat.
Writers are not sensible.
If I'm in a mad scientist writing-frenzy day, my lunchbreak might be 10am and I'll order pizza at 9pm, or I might have lunch at 3pm and dinner at 5. These schedules are dictated only by when I notice I'm light-headed and should probably eat something. Many's the time I've thought to myself that as I'm knocking off for the day I might have a wee evening stroll before bed, then I notice that it's 1am.
So I've long admitted defeat on being sensible enough to stop for a hearty wander in daylight hours on a daily basis. Occasionally it just works out that way, but most times it doesnt.
As anyone who follows me on social media knows, I'm fond of my circus and general upside down fitness. In addition to being the most fun ever they are a fab workout, BUT the same goes for actually showing up to these classes regularly. I'm forever trying to be strict with myself, but if work needs to be done, it needs to be done!
A few years ago, I bought myself a walking treadmill. I've gone through fits and starts of using it, but all too often I give up and snuggle up with my laptop again. There's a particular type of concentration that I seem to have convinced myself I can only achieve in the foetal position.
But something needs to change. I've got a packed writing schedule coming up, and I really don't want to end up being surgically removed from my sofa. I think -- HOPE! -- that writing concentration thing is often a question of habit. I feel as though I write best curled up in complete silence, but the fact is, for years I scribbled in lunchbreaks and on the tube to and from a bajillion day jobs, and I managed fine. I drift between typing and handwriting quite a bit, so I'm convinced that I can train myself to dictate on the treadmill if I just commit.
So October is dictating month! For the entire month I will ONLY write by dictating on the treadmill. This week is a warm up. I'm putting together a final draft, so I'm more than 90% just reading aloud from the previous draft, so I figure it will ease my brain into the vibe without having to think too much.
The dream is to get to a point where I can go out walking in the world and dictate. I've tried that a few times and swiftly given up, but I think I've realised that's running before I can walk (so to speak). Step one is to train my brain to dictate in the office environment... and then the world will be my oyster!
Or at least Queens Park.