Tuesday, March 13, 2012

PEDAL TO THE METTLE

Since moving here to Akumal…
I’ve been going to a gym to work out.
Yesterday…
I got on a stationary bike…
Thinking it would be fun to just pedal.
So I get on the bike…
And the readout on the screen said…
What is your goal?
Really?
This bike wants to know…
What my goal is?
For a moment I freaked thinking…
Is this bike questioning me on my submissions?
(I’m still sending them out, btw)
And then I realized, haha…
The goal was for the workout.
Goal? I had no goal…
Hell, I just wanted to pedal for fun…
But it didn’t matter. 
I still had to determine if my goal was:
Distance….
Time…
Or speed…
And then the bike would tell me…
How many calories I burned.
Well, that got me thinking…
Of writing goals. So if:
All my efforts (burning calories)= a finished manuscript…
Than I need to determine…
What method works best for me:
Time = how many hours a day I write
Speed = how fast I can write
Distance= my world count
After awhile I realized…
Because of all the calculations...
I wasn't enjoying my pedaling...
So I shut the damn screen off…
And just pedaled for the joy of it.
And that’s how I feel about my writing.
I write first the joy,..
Yet with a specific goal in mind.
So? What about you?
When you sit down to write...
What comes first?
The joy?
Or the goal?

Always, Em-Musing

12 comments:

farawayeyes said...

In writing it might be the JOY, but currently I'm editing - definitely here it's the SPECIFIC GOAL.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

What a revelation!
My first book it was just the joy, but had a goal for the second one.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

I think answering the questions on that readout will help you in optimizing your workout. So rather than just shut it off, I would supply it with the necessary information.

Elizabeth Mueller said...

All of my books come from pure joy--if it's a sequel, it's a goal because I am no sequel girl. Those are harder for me, a real challenge.

Something to remember and hold dear: please remember why you love writing and don't let it wash you away when you get published. I have fallen into that marsh and am struggling--slowly--my way out.
xox

♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥

A to Z co-host
#AtoZChallenge
@AprilA2Z

Unknown said...

The joy every time. Except when I have a deadline looming ... like now. But I aim for joy. :)

Creepy Query Girl said...

Perfect perfect analogy! You should join the analogy wars;)

Talli Roland said...

What a great question! I think it depends on the day... :)

Jessica Ruud said...

Love this. Nails it right on!!!

A Beer for the Shower said...

I love when machines ask us unintentionally thought provoking questions. For me it's always joy. I'm not big on goals. Besides, when the joy is there, the book gets done anyway. No need to even set goals.

Jennifer Shirk said...

Ha! That's funny. Sometimes I just want to start exercising too and I feel like I'm getting interrogated before I can start. LOL
But when I write, I usually plan on some sort of goal or time, which may increase or decrease depending on the joy. :)

Misha Gerrick said...

Yeah drafting is always for fun. Once that's done, though, I set goals for every rewrite and edits.

:-)

Crazy Life of a Writing Mom said...

This is awesome! I love the revelation ;)