Tuesday, November 18, 2008

A Story and a Challenge

First the story, then the challenge.

One day about 10 years ago, I was doing extremely boring SGML coding in my cubicle. I decided I needed another cup of coffee to make it through, so I stood up...and my knee went "POP". Owww-ooch.

Follow on with continued pain, and arthroscopic knee surgery to repair my meniscus (which, um, wasn't torn? Different story). Followed by physical therapy.

Physical therapy after surgery is HELL. Fiery evil flames of hell. Physical therapists, while generally nice, are also demons.

"I can't do that," I'd say innocently. "My leg doesn't bend that way anymore."

"Yes you can," they'd say. [picture demon face, teeth bared, roaring "DO IT"]

And they'd make me. And then next time they'd make me do more [painful evilness hell]. And after 6 months of physical therapy, my knee felt perfectly fine in spite of the fact that surgery had done nothing for it. I waved cheerily as I said goodbye to my demon physical therapists.

So I know you're waiting for the moral/analogy to writing here. You can see it, obvious: You can do it if you try, right? You can do more than you imagined if prodded effectively.

Well, right. But also: writing HURTS sometimes. It is HARD. It is the fiery evil flames of hell trying to get yourself going, and you whine and say no I can't. I don't wanna. But it is also a process, and it goes up and down, and eventually you come through the other side with a fixed knee good book, if you're persistent.

And if you challenge yourself.

So, I'm trying to build up my flabby writing muscles again, and I'm challenging you and I'm challenging me. Today we're gonna start SUPER-easy: 200 words.

You can do that with your eyes closed. Go. Write 200 new words on your WIP. Come back and post a comment when you've got 'em done. I'll come back and post when I do too (though it won't be for a while--I DO have to work first!)

Ready? 200 words. GO!

17 comments:

Linda G. said...

I accept your challenge!

(Great analogy, btw.)

Linda, off to write through the pain.

Susan Adrian said...

Yay, Linder! Go go!

helgor said...

Okay, I'm in, too.

*ouch!* *ow!*

Stephanie said...

Okay, I did it. Thanks for the boost.

Susan Adrian said...

YAY Stephanie!

You are now allowed to play 3 games of this, if you so choose:
Word Vine

Enjoy!

Gerb said...

Done! I should mention that since my eyes were closed, some of those words are not properly spelled or spaced... *g*

Linda G. said...

Oops. I over-shot. I'm at 312 and still going...new stuff, too. Not just filling the cracks, like I was doing earlier.

Susan Adrian said...

Gerb: Wahoo! Doesn't matter for this challenge. Your reward: you may freely watch ALL of this video: Ice-skating cowboys

Linder: YES! Overshot is GREAT! Your reward (because I know you): DARK chocolate, baybee.

Susan Adrian said...

HA! I did it too! 240 and still going.

Sure, some of it is backstory that I will eventually need to cut or work in more smoothly, but it is first chapter of first draft, and that is okay. :) Woot!

helgor said...

Okay, that took way longer than I would have liked, but 200 words. Check. I was filling in gaps, though, and trying to ramp up on my story after being away from it for too long.

Thanks for the kick in the rear.

:-)

Susan Adrian said...

Yay, thanks for checking back in, Helene!

Your reward is to do whatever you want tonight. :)

Deborah Small said...

Suze, Linder...go girls, go!

I wrote 676 new words tonight; 324 to go before I go to bed.

Let's keep it up!

Deb

Susan Adrian said...

Wahoo Deb!!

Watch for tomorrow's challenge. :)

Suburban Vampire said...

I was probably in a nearby cubicle, also working on boring SGML code or something related, when your knee popped ten years ago. Didn't both you and Jen go through similar surgeries around the same time?

Anyway...I'm working on revisions and probably rewrote about 200 words today.

Good look with your WIP!

Deborah Small said...

I shall be here. :)

Deb

Gary Corby said...

I've written 200 words since reading your challenge.

What's the next target?

Susan Adrian said...

Cathy: Gawd, you probably were! I don't recall if Jen had it too. (the reason it's on my mind is because the blasted thing is Doing It Again. At least this time I know to skip the surgery) Good for your 200 revised words!

Gary: 400. Go! (and yes, this will keep getting harder. :))