10 Things Running Taught Me About Writing

This month didn't just bring May flowers, it brought back last winter's holiday weight gain that took me 4 months to lose. The metabolism is slowing down, folks. At 47, I don't think anything comes easy anymore except laughing.

Now hear this: I am not a fitness nut. Yes, I try to exercise, but I'm relatively new to running since I swore it off in gym class 4 decades ago. I've only been running about 3 years or so, and I haven't gone crazy enough to run in freezing weather, so some months I can get up to 6 miles although most of the time it's only 2 or 3. 

In truth, I've been a slacker. This year I was excited to get back to running when the weather warmed up, but now that it's here, I'm only getting out once a week or so. I must resolve to do better. Especially since I've been eating like a famine was predicted for Fall 2017.  

As hard as it can be to put on my running shoes some days, I actually enjoy it once I get out there. I think about my work a lot while I'm running. It's a great time to solve plotting problems and discover new ideas. In fact, running has taught me a lot about writing, the same way it's taught me about life.

10 Things Running Taught Me About Writing

1. If it was easy, nobody would be on the couch.

(For every author that finishes a story, there's a writer who quit.)

2. If you don't schedule it, it'll never get done.

(Writing is a job. If you don't plan time to write, it's not going to happen.)

3. Marathons are made up of milestones.

(I read somewhere it takes an average of 10 years for a writer to break in. Don't you quit.)

4. As long as you breathe, your mind can convince your body it can do anything.

(Writers' block can be treated with good old-fashioned discipline.)

5. It is better to look up.

(Find a peer group to lift you up on the bad days.Trust me, they will come.)

6. Ear buds are just concentrated distraction.

(There are an infinite amount of ways to avoid writing, starting with iPods and snacks.)

7. There will always be someone faster who looks better in spandex.

(Someone will always have a better book cover, better sales, and even luck!)

8. Don't shy away from a run in the rain.

(It's good to have a critique group, but it's also important to spend time writing offline and alone.)

9. The past can't catch up if you keep moving forward.

(Yes, that first story was a doozy, the reviews were terrible, and you actually lost money. Treasure the lessons you learned and move on to the next book.)

10. I won't finish first, and I won't finish fast, but I will finish. That's all that matters.

(I think you get the point.)

 Stay balanced,

~Danielle Thorne

www.daniellethorne.com