What they don’t tell you when you start writing…
One of the most common questions people ask me during an interview situation is about my advice for aspiring writers. What tips would I give to anyone starting out writing?
Aside from the advice to read, read and read some more and to sit down and write, my best tip is to exercise on a regular basis, because writing and all the sitting involved during the writing of a book, leads to bottom spread.
Yes, sadly true….take it from one who knows. It even bears repeating. Beware the dratted bottom spread.
“Exercise?” you cry. “I don’t have time to exercise.”
Yes, I can hear your words of disbelief echoing around the globe now.
The thing is, bottom spread is insidious. It creeps up on a writer and suddenly…wham! Shaking head. It’s not a pretty sight.
Luckily I have a solution to halt bottom spread. One word, and no, it’s not a dirty one.
Exercise.
I’m all about multi-tasking whenever possible so here are some ways to add exercise to your routine without too many radical changes.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Park your vehicle in one central place and walk to different shops/destinations to complete your chores.
- Walk your children to school instead of driving them.
- Go for a walk after dinner. Take your children and husband wi th you and make it into family time.
- Explore some of the National and State parks during weekends and holidays.
- Walk barefoot on the beach.
- Take the dog for a walk.
- Do the housework – not my personal favorite, but I’m just laying out all the options!
- Go dancing or put on some music at home and shake your groove thing.
- Use that gym membership.
- Drag the old bike out of storage.
- Take up a new sport.
- Try gardening – grow your own flowers and vegetables.
- Fancy a swim? My local pool has water aerobics, which actually tur ned out to be a lot of fun. Swim or walk up and down the pool.
As well as a great way to combat weight gain, regular exercise helps with concentration. It gives you time to think about your characters and plot. Yes, it’s that multi-tasking thing again. Exercising is me-time and although you mightn’t think so at first, it’s also fun. So get to it! Sweat those toxins out and you’ll find you’ll feel better. You might even live longer and gain in self-confidence. And above all, you’ll stop that nasty bottom
spread!
What do you think about exercise? Do you like it or hate it? Do you exercise? Pssst – do you suffer from the dreaded bottom spread?
Shelley Munro lives in New Zealand and loves to write. She was horrified to discover the truth about bottom spread and has worked hard to combat said problem ever since. Shelley likes walking the dog and cycling but hates housework. Her most recent release is Wanderlust, a contemporary tale of travel through India. It combines all of Shelley’s favorite things: ex1otic location, love, and lashings of intrigue and murder. Wanderlust is available from Cerridwen Press as of yesterday! You can visit Shelley’s website at http://www.shelleymunro.com
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April 18th, 2008 at 9:28 am
My preferred exercise is walking. I try to do about 5 km. a day.
Tonight I’m going dancing. I’ll walk to and from the venue. Unless I get lucky in which case I’ll get to indulge in my favourite form of exercise.
I used to exercise quite a bit. I was big on the martial arts. I wish I had enough space to do that now. Where I’m living I’m too likely to put a fist or foot through something valuable.
April 18th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Shelley thanks for stopping by!!!! I signed up for the Y a few months ago and was really good the first month. Then, not so much. One thing I DO know to be true though is that I FEEL better when I exercise (it’s the endorphines–yet another reason to get off yer arse!
)If only I could take my own advice.
April 18th, 2008 at 11:19 am
[…] Also, Raine is blogging about writing and if it’s worth it and Charlie….Shelley Munroe is blogging about um bottom spreading over at NAS. […]
April 18th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Exercise is a dirty word. But I would like to point out you can blame it on the baby weight for the first five years. Or that’s what I’m using.
Great post.
April 18th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Exercise? I’m sorry, but I can’t find that in my dictionary … it seems that page is missing …
April 18th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Shelley, I so hear you! I gained SO much weight in the first year and a half after I first sold. I’m losing it now. I go to the gym and do the elliptical. I’m kind of sad to say I think my ass is disappearing (my stomach isn’t though
)
Such a great post! Gotta get up and get moving! LOL.
April 18th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
I don’t exercise much, but I can’t seem to get my butt moving. I, too like to walk. I don’t last long if I try to jog.
April 18th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Amie - I hear you - knowing about bottom spread and actually summoning up the energy some days to exercise. It’s difficult.
Melissa - Sounds good to me. I wish I could use that excuse.
Bailey - LOL. Exercise is probably running amuck in your dictionary, combining and birthing new words. Words like bottom spread!
Shelli - when I gave up work and started writing full time the bottom spread even further. I thought my husband was crazy when he suggested we buy a bicycle each, but I love going for a ride each day. Of course now I have scars on my knee from falling off, but that’s another story!
Jane - walking is much easier during summer when the daylight last longer. And it doesn’t seem like exercise if you drag along some friends.
April 18th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Note to self: must start exercising more regularly. Avoid bottom spread. And don’t want icky, flabby arms in my wedding dress.
I’m a social creature, though. It was so easy in college… we used to swim EVERY NIGHT (and then load up on calzones and ice cream after, but you’ve gotta love the 19-year-old metabolism…)
I need to find a social way to exercise.
April 19th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Kate - true. When we get older there are so many other things that call on our time. You could try window shopping at the mall with a friend and don’t take your wallet - something like that. It’s amazing how big those malls are and how much walking you do to get from shop to shop.
Shelli and the Naughty Spice Girls - thanks so much for inviting me to guest here. I’ve had lots of fun!