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:
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:
In writing it might be the JOY, but currently I'm editing - definitely here it's the SPECIFIC GOAL.
What a revelation!
My first book it was just the joy, but had a goal for the second one.
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.
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
The joy every time. Except when I have a deadline looming ... like now. But I aim for joy. :)
Perfect perfect analogy! You should join the analogy wars;)
What a great question! I think it depends on the day... :)
Love this. Nails it right on!!!
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.
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. :)
Yeah drafting is always for fun. Once that's done, though, I set goals for every rewrite and edits.
:-)
This is awesome! I love the revelation ;)
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