It feels more like an epiPHONY

For the last several months, writing has become something so difficult that I retreat instead of trying. Following my return to paid work, it's harder to keep up - with writing, reading, eating things that aren't scientifically engineered to make us grow a third nipple, exchanging a few words with my family, with everything. I spend in the neighborhood of twelve hours a day involved in work or getting to or from there so it's hardly a surprise that my online life has evolved. Devolved?

Even though I can't be online as much as I once was (that's what I get for finding a job without an office where I could fool around online without anyone seeing), doesn't mean I can't write. Right? Someone back me up here.

But where to start? I feel rusty, stiff, at a loss for subjects, voiceless. The  horror!

Enter the 3A.M. Epiphany - Uncommon Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction by Brian Kitely. This book was a gift from Kirie back when I had all the time in the world to do nothing but write and of course, genius that I am, set it aside for a day when I felt I could dedicate myself to improving my craft.

I believe delusional is the appropriate word here.

So. I'm using the exercises in this book to get the wheels turning. Let me tell you, those brain squirrels are out of shape. Tubby from excess, wheezing with the smallest exertions..

Hard cheese. I'm flogging those lazy, lardy crybabies, insisting they pump their fat little legs until I my fingers move across the keys and produce the 500 words or more required to complete each exercise in Professor Kitely's book.

In other words, I'm doing things differently and expecting different results. Better results? Maybe. The point is, I'm going to use my writing muscle until I can crack nuts with it. Which is more than I can say for most of my other muscles. Okaaaaay, all of my other muscles.

Kitely has a list of the exercises here. If you're interested in joining me in this exercise, please let me know. I'm only on Exercise 2 and will do Exercise 3 on January 4th since I chose to write this post on the third instead of doing my book work If enough people are interested, perhaps we could do this as a sort of online writing group. Not being a natural joiner, I'm hesitant to suggest this, but one of the writing resolutions I've made for this month is to be more active in a writing community. Bob help me. Change is hard.

What are you doing differently?