Anne Tyler Lord

The Writer’s Life: Friday Check-In #3-War in Resolution Galaxy-Episode 3

Previously in… the War in Resolution Galaxy…The Homeostasis (STASIS) Republic led by Status Quo is at war with the Evolution (EVOLVE) Empire led by Darwin Vader.  The EVOLVE Special Forces Warriors are in training to avoid being slimed by the NegaNator by the STASIS Troopers, which blasts negative feedback all over them when they attempt to change.

“Let’s go warriors, keep up your exercises, practice, practice, practice…”

“Commander, I can’t do it anymore, my body is giving out, I can’t go on, I will have to give up…”

“Me neither, commander, too many other things to think about, it is all too much…”

“My muse has left me, I have nothing left, I will never be a writer now…”

“Recruits, I know this is hard, your pain and tiredness mean you need a rest.  Time for you to recharge your energy.  We all need rest at some point.  It doesn’t mean you are out of training or that we are losing the war.  The quest for change is filled with times when we need to gather our energy.  The path to higher healing, heath and creativity is a spiral, recruits, it is NOT a steep mountain.”

“Thanks commander, but I feel so weak, I can’t do anything I want. I look at the strong recruits exercising and creating so much and I wish I could, too.”

“Don’t worry, you will soon enough. Everyone experiences tiredness, pain and stress. And, there are times when the muse will not visit because you need to recharge.  This is one of the most crucial times in your training. You need to learn more patience with yourself, go with the flow, listen to your body and your intuition, that is your connection to the Force.  When you listen closely to the messages from the Force, you will now what to do next.  This is one of the ways the Force can grows stronger in you.  Recruits! Go rest, recuperate, recreate and use this time wisely!”

Comforting Kitties

I send you comforting kitties to help you relax, nourish yourself and rest.  Everything looks better after a Kittie Recuperation. There are times in our lives when we need to ease the pace  to allow our bodies to heal and our minds to have space, during these times…

we need nourishing food and rest…

we need to care for ourselves and others who need us…

and, sometimes we just need to SLEEP…

Links to Inspire Your Week

Learn about the 6 Changes Method in The Definitive Guide to Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolutions by Leo Babauta at Zen Habits: Simple Productivity.

I really appreciated this article, shared by Nishi, and the links at the end go to interesting articles too, 10 Habits of Successful Authors, by K.M. Weiland at Word Play.

There are some inspiring words and good points in this article about intuition and creativity, and making time for play and rest, Creativity & Intuition: Unlock that Secret Stash for More Passion and Purpose, by Kammie Kobyleski at Coachamatic.

Friday Check-In

You can enter your weekly update below in the comments, or give a brief Twitter update with the #writerlbsOff.

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39 responses to “The Writer’s Life: Friday Check-In #3-War in Resolution Galaxy-Episode 3”

  1. Laura Eno

    She said she was a brownie but I knew better. That scrubbed, angelic face would change in a heartbeat if I didn’t give in. What choice did I have? I needed to buy protection; a way to insure that I’d live for another year.
    We stared at each other for a moment and then I caved, ordering 4 boxes of Thin Mints. The face relaxed, the smile kept, no fangs appeared.

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      LOL! That was good! You know Brownies can be very rough if you don’t buy their cookies. You made a wise decision to save your life.

      Besides, if you eat thin mints within the first month of their delivery, they don’t have any calories. They only gain in calories if left on your shelf.

    2. Angie

      There is nothing ‘thin’ about those mints… at least, not after you’ve had a whole box of them! *lol*

      1. Anne Tyler Lord

        LOL:)))

  2. PJ Kaiser

    Checking in late this week – Anne, I knew I liked you, I was an Ally McBeal fan also & love Vonda’s music 🙂 This has been a crazy week and i unfortunately didn’t make it to the gym at all. i have a bad tendency to let the paperwork (bills, etc.) pile up until i have a mountain that is hard to overcome. I’m hoping to tackle the mountain tomorrow. A mountain of laundry awaits tonight. I wish i could stay on top of these things better!

    But at least i’ve been eating fairly well and my fridge is stocked for the coming week.

    I’m not chiseling out enough time for writing but i hope once i conquer my mountains there will be more time for that. I’m really just focusing on the fridayflash at the moment – too stressful and difficult to think beyond that at the moment.

    So, that’s it in a nutshell – thanks for the encouragement, everybody, especially Anne! 🙂

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Hi PJ,

      Life makes mountains and piles, at least mine does too. But, they always get taken care of somehow. I remember you just cleaned out your garage, that is a big deal! Eating well is a major accomplishment! I love your beautiful food pics. And, getting out a FridayFlash is amazing with such a busy life. Focus on those and the other things will eventually fall into place.

      Good luck on the piles and getting to the gym this week! I think we are all trying to get back on track this week after so many things we all experienced last week!

  3. Kelly Boyer Sagert

    I’m trying not to focus on the numbers on the scale. Rather, I’m trying to ensure that I get back to the best levels of exercise for me and that I eat healthy foods in a well balanced diet. I’m now exercising about 3 times per week (something that I’d done up until October and then stopped for various reasons) and I am SOMETIMES doing better with carefully choosing what I eat.

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Hi Kelly,

      Thanks for stopping by for an update. Sounds like you are moving along fine! You seem very in-tune with yourself!

  4. Cynthia Schuerr

    I’m sorry I am late with my check-in, friends. From what I’ve been reading here in some of the posts, it seems that a full moon had descended upon us. Many of us are under the weather or have been at some point this past week.

    What is so great about our group is that we all just keep moving forward. We know when to stop and regroup and give our bodies what they need and then forge ahead, again.

    With everything going on this week, I did manage to walk everyday for 35 minutes, except for one day, where I only walked for 15 minutes. I was healing from a 14 hour migraine (Laura, I empathize with you) and just didn’t want to push it. I lost 1 1/2 lbs. (better than nothing, I guess, or gaining it) Submitted two shorts and worked on edits and revision of WIP. All in all, not a bad week.

    Anne, as much as we like to feel that we can be all things to all people and believe that we are super women, sometimes, we just can’t. As was so pointed out to me, by my daughter this week. (ahem) 🙂 I love that you prioritized and feel more comfortable now with the flow of your time. BTW, thank you for the interesting links.

    I noticed we have several new friends, who have become part of our group and I’d like to welcome you all. Will look forward to getting together with all of you next week.

    Enjoy your weekend!

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Hi Cynthia,

      It is amazing to see how many of us needed a little extra care and rest for our bodies and minds this week. I wonder what is in the air, but it is global, so must be celestial? :)) I see you are still braving the cold, and I am not, good for you! We are getting rain and ice this weekend-yuk! You are making fine progress in the midst of a migraine week!

      I too, appreciate the openness of everyone in the group and our compassion for ourselves and each other through more challenging times. We all know how difficult it is to manage so many demands in our lives and to still reach deep inside and find our creativity and will to write. It is the writing and our inner spirit to live more consciously, creating more health and beauty in our lives that brought us all together. And, it is our kind hearts and openness that keeps us together.

  5. Melissa

    I should start by saying that the beginning of your post gave me laugh out loud delight and I was even more delighted to see the subject matter, that is, the need to slow down. We don’t hear this enough these days–or, if we do, we generally don’t heed the advice until we’re forced to do so. I spent years having to learn this the hard way and I still have lots of trouble. The hectic pace of Western culture (perhaps especially in America) simply doesn’t reward it. My body is very sensitive now, though, and will shut down much sooner if I don’t listen. Bravo for setting priorities and keeping what is essential to your heart. It gives me courage to do it as well. 🙂 So great to read this and the comments. I feel like it’s a place where writers are being REAL and vulnerable. Refreshing.

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Melissa,

      Thanks for stopping by. I agree, it is very hard in Western culture to slow down and feel o.k. about it. Everything is so performance oriented that we often forget how important it is to just “BE” and listen to intuition. That is such a great observation that “this is a place where writers are being REAL and vulnerable.” I certainly think so and have greatly appreciated the wonderful people who are participating on this journey together. I see you are a FridayFlasher, I’m still getting to know everyone and trying to not be too overwhelmed with the reading and writing. It is such a fun, committed group of writers. Feel free and welcome to join our #writerlbsOff if you are so inclined.

  6. betsy cañas garmon

    Hey Anne & friends,

    It’s been a quiet week for me. Husband and I took a long weekend for “Navigation”. {We get away at least once a year for a family business meeting. We review calendar, goals & dreams… with 5 children and our own business, the list can be extensive!} It was sad to not share beautiful food with Rand this time ’round, but I was able to find lovely options for where I am.

    The time away gave the week a peaceful start and even though I missed the mark on my writing goals, I stayed aware of where my time went and how things shifted around. {as opposed to one of those weeks that end with me looking up and wondering, “What THE HECK just happened?!”}

    Spent this morning writing and catching up on a very neglected inbox {and now am catching up on online stuff that I just didn’t get to all week…} Must say it’s nice to go through the comment stream here and see that everyone else is juggling life & goals too.

    Am currently working through Susanne F. Fincher’s, “The Mandala Workbook: A Creative Guide for Self-Exploration, Balance, and Well-Being” Copied this quote over into my journal:

    “The natural rhythm of this stage is slow and if you can come to appreciate this and accept the gifts of deep rest then this experience can even be welcomed. The tasks for stage one are: Waiting, keeping faith, trusting the process and being patient with poor performance.”

    {seems to match where several of us are…}

    Have a great weekend!

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Betsy,

      Wow! You most certainly do have a busy life with 5 kids and your own business. How great that you were able to get away for a break. The Mandala Workbook sounds very interesting. You should share some more with us through the comments each week. That quote was beautiful and such an encouragement!

  7. K.M. Weiland

    Thanks for the link to my “10 Habits” article. Glad you enjoyed it!

  8. C.L. Dyck

    I didn’t update last week, being away, so I want to make sure I do this week, rather than sort of dropping away and, y’know, not quite making it back.

    Pretty much a nothing week for me. I feel like I just got started, then went on holiday for a long weekend and now have to start over again. It’s been about getting the kids rested up and sorted out since getting home. But April’s not happening tomorrow or anything. I will get there.

    I’m keeping a few fairly specific goals/milestones in mind: to submit to a major genre contest by Feb. 15th (which is keeping me in my chair with editing more than is likely shapely, you know), the #wlbsoff closing of April 30th, and a major writers’ conference in September.

    I have some minor motivations in there too, but these are the dates I’m balancing. I’ll let myself get away with a bit more sitting for work on the first one, try and have my main lifestyle improvements tacked down by the time we wrap up here, and hopefully be a confident and healthy shape by fall, mostly because meeting goals increases my self-respect and sense of accomplishment. Putting on the sales shine and whatnot.

    Some weeks, it’s more about the big picture.

    ~Cat

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Hi C.L.,

      Glad to see your update. Yes, I agree, some weeks it is more about the big picture. Several of us are still getting organized and motivated after the holidays. It is those baby steps we get in when we can and keeping our eyes on the important things! A few of us are right there with you!

  9. Louise Dragon

    Hi all,
    Just checking in to say I completed my first week at my new job and lost 3 pounds while getting this accomplished. Writing will be a challenge for me until I get this new kitchen under control, but I do keep a few back-up #ffs around for stressful times like this week was.
    In the building where I work, it’s all one floor so I walk through miles of corridors in search of residents and charts . . . I’m counting this as new exercise, plus I began to work with my hand weights again. Total pounds lost=6.5.
    Thanks for being there everyone! See you next week.

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Louise,

      Congrats on making it though the first week of your new job. It sounds like it will be good for your exercise goals. Exercise without planning it is the best!

      You have made great strides in the weight loss department too – great going!

      I hope you love your new job!

  10. Sam

    Hi all!

    After the week I’ve just had I am definitely kitty #3. Stress levels are slowly returning to the normal dull roar from the maniacal screaming of earlier. Pain management has also been an issue this week, so writing has had to take a back seat.

    No #fridayflash from me this week either, but plenty of ideas have cropped up at the weirdest times – I’m sure my Muse has a very strange sense of humour!

    Hopefully things will be more normal this coming week.

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Hi Sam,

      You know your week was similar to mine. We both need the sleeping kitty pose! My favorite yoga pose.

      After talking with you and a few others, it was clear what the topic of my post had to be this week. Several of us need a rest.

      Can’t wait to see what comes through after those weird muse visits.

  11. Marisa Birns

    Hello Anne and everyone! Am checking in with, first, a confession. I don’t weigh myself. Don’t even know where the scale is.

    I gauge how I’m doing by how my clothes are fitting. Since I’ve stopped snacking and begun walking again, I feel better but don’t know if I lost pounds or inches.

    I suppose it makes better sense to really know and not fear the numbers, eh.

    Anne, I think your goals are great. You don’t have to worry about not having a friday flash every week. You are writing! Your novel, your family’s stories. This is wonderful.

    If it’s two stories a month for us, then I know they’ll be two great ones!

    I love the kitty sleeping…

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Hi Marisa,

      Sounds like you are making fine progress. I don’t think it necessarily makes more sense to know the numbers, exactly. If you are eating better and exercising, then you are making progress. I don’t weigh myself that much, just every few weeks, but it doesn’t always match how I feel or how clothes fit.

      Isn’t sleeping kitty cute! He looks soooo comfy.

  12. Alison Wells

    Hi all,

    Just making my first comment to say that even though I am orienting my mind towards better health I have only started very slowly to reestablishing exercise after the long winter. I have a strong predisposition to diabetes. I had gestational diabetes (in pregnancy) and had to inject insulin in three of my pregnancies.I am ‘borderline’ diabetic and need six monthly checks. During my pregnancies I maintained a fabulously healthy ‘diabetic’ diet. No sweet stuff, small amounts of carbs regularly, masses of veg and fruit as treats.I had to exercise regularly to keep the sugar levels under control. Since my youngest is now two, I have let things slide. I have lost the good habits of my previous diet and turn to choc as a stress reliever. The winter blues often get to me also and I know that I need to reestablish exercise and good eating habits for my physical and mental wellbeing. I hope by checking in with you to give myself the momentum. Now I must dash off because my husband is arriving home with a takeaway. Last one!

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Hi Alison,

      So glad you are joining! You have some good goals! I live in a cold winter climate too and the blues and less exercise get to me this time of year also. I do much better on the low carbs high veggie diet too and maintaining blood sugar is quite a trick with busy lives! There have been years when I didn’t crave chocolate at all, then it started again last year. I found it interesting that when I went to my Dr. to have check-ups, he found I had very low serotonin levels. I tried taking 5-HTP and it helps a little, but it is also hard on my stomach. I just found this article – How to Raise Serotonin Deficiency Levels. I may look up a few more things, this is something I am interested in. I know so many of us have low serotonin. And, low vit. D levels in cold climates is a big problems too. Mine were dangerously low last fall.

      So many things to think about to boost our mood and energy!!

      Good luck!!

      I hope the check-ins help. I like the idea of not doing this alone and knowing that there are so many others on the journey. So happy to have you come over to our clubhouse and play!!

  13. Juliette

    Hello all –

    Excited to join the group!

    January’s been a mixed-bag for me.
    On the health side – I managed to get through the holiday without packin on a single pound (yeah me!)but have done a really crappy job of keeping up with my walking. I generally walk at least 4 times a week, 2-3 miles at a time, but have now gone almost 3 weeks without walking once (yikes!!!!).

    On the writing side – I’ve pounded out about 19,000 additional words so far this month on my WIP (work in progress)despite the demands of my day job…. which is probably why the walking has fallen by the wayside. I am hoping, hoping, hoping, to finish the book very shortly!

    That’s about it for me so far this month!

    Juliette

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Welcome Juliette,

      We are glad you are here! It actually sounds like you had a very good January – that is A LOT of words!! And, not gaining through the holidays is BIG. Many of us are working on the walking, but live in cold climates. Some are brave, and we call her Nanook of the North, some are wimps, like me, and I am glad the weather is reaching 35 degrees – a heat wave for us.

      Good luck with your goals!

  14. Olivia Tejeda

    Hi Anne an Laura, and nice to meet you Shon and Gail. I signed up for #WPO when Anne first introduced it, but I have been away (cruise), so I didn’t give it any time. All through my trip it was on my mind, but if any of you have ever been on a cruise, it’s basically an all-you-can-eat vacation! And the food is so good. I decided I would just enjoy it and make a healthy commitment as soon as I got back. That’s where I am now.

    We got home last Sunday and have been trying to get back in the swing of things. I have been surprisingly dedicated to healthy/diet eating (and I do differentiate the two), as a result I’m down four pounds. I’m thrilled with that, but considering how I ate for two weeks on the cruise, it’s not surprising. I’m HUGE at this point! ugh!

    I’m going to keep going with the food part. I can’t find the motivation to exercise … primarily walking … so I’m not going to worry about it for now.

    Writing wise: I’m still thinking on that. I write daily, but I need to learn how to multi-task. I seem to be able to focus on only one project at a time. If I’m working on a friday flash, that’s all I do. My travel writing suffers, and my novel is ignored. So, as I write this I’m deciding to commit to working on at least two writing projects a day. I’m open to more, but it must be at least two.

    Okay, enough committing for now. It’s back to work for me.

    All best,
    Olivia

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Hello Olivia,

      We will forgive your absence since you were on a cruise!! Wow that sounds good to me now. We were all talking about the bad arctic blasts around the world while you were gone! Lucky you to miss it all. I am similar to you with the focus on one project, it is hard to switch sometimes. But two sounds reasonable, I am going to do that with you.

      You sound motivated to get back into daily life, good for you, I would probably have post-vacation blahs.

  15. Anne Tyler Lord

    I see we have new members to our #writerlbsOff group on Twitter over the past couple weeks. If you haven’t seen their comments yet, take a chance to get to know them everyone.

    Alison @alisonwells http://www.alisonwells.wordpress.com/

    Pauline @aspiringmama – thanks for the blog post about our group – http://aspiringmama.com/?p=860

    Deb @debs1
    http://www.deborahshinegarden.com/

    Juliette @jterzieff
    http://www.julietteterzieff.com/

    Gail @radlady
    http://www.gailforcewriting.com/

    Let me know if I forgot anyone or if there are other new people joining.

    We are glad you decided to join the fun and take the journey with us. Feel free to introduce yourself and let us know what goals you are working towards. It is exciting to see the group grow!

    If you haven’t checked out how we started, you can read about it and get to know the other members in the comments:

    http://annetylerlord.com/the-writers-life/writerlbsoff-new-year-resolutions-for-writers

    We tweet during the week about anything, good days, bad days, great meals, good workouts, interesting links, wonderful writing days, times the muse is running away.

    We check-in on Fridays to the post I put here on my blog or you can do a brief update on Twitter with the #writerlbsOff. We like to support each other by commenting on anyone’s comment – the more the support, the better.

    Thanks to everyone for helping our group grow and supporting each other.

  16. Gail Jansen

    Hi I just wanted to introduce myself, this is my first look at the #writerlbsOff group. I am a freelance writer located in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, who for the past 2 years has written full-time (and beyond) from her home. A situation that has piled on an extra 30lbs! This year I’m looking to she the weight, shed the crazy workload, and learn to work smarter not harder (ie. more money for my work). Looking forward to connecting with other writers and learning their tips.

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Hi Gail,

      We are glad to have you aboard! You are in good company. We all have a lot of health, writing and creativity goals. Feel free to comment on anyone’s comments and follow us on Twitter. We are a chatty bunch and like to talk.

      Welcome!

    2. C.L. Dyck

      Hey, Gail! Glad to see another Canadian prairie gal here. I’m right of you on the map, in western Manitoba.

      ~Cat

  17. Shon Bacon

    Well, I have decided that January will be a bust month for me. The only way you can talk about dedicating yourself to good writing and good health is to be honest, and the truth is I’ve been battling with a bout of depression since the New Year, and with doctoral work starting back up for the spring semester and now with this nasty cold/flu bug upon me, it’s hard for me to get my mind right to focus on what needs to be done. So, I’m taking this month to kick the sickness away, restrategize my writing goals, and be ready to write right and all that jazz for February and beyond.

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      January can be a really tough month. Good for you for taking time off to rest, get well and reorganize.

      That is definitely the theme for January for a few of us! And, it is all progress.

      Take care.

  18. Laura Eno

    That’s good that you have certain goals to prioritize. I’m glad you’re feeling better.:)
    Earlier in the week I fought a migraine, but my head conjured up stories anyway. Today the fibromyalgia is kicking up, no doubt due to my limited physical activity during this time. *sigh* vicious circle. I’m pleased with the writing though!

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Yes, the viscous circle – hey that would be a great FridayFlash story title.

      I’m glad to see you are feeling better from the headache, and hope your pain reduces too.

      You are very lucky to get the writing done with a headache, and good writing at that! Congrats!

      You can have one of the kitties, if you promise Jezebel won’t see her!

      1. Laura Eno

        I feel like that first kitty!
        Jezebel LOVES kitties, it’s humans she sometimes clashes with.
        And I don’t write with a migraine, but my brain whips up stories. 🙂 Probably delirious…

  19. Anne Tyler Lord

    Hello Everyone,

    Well, this had to be a restful week for me. I needed to slow down and recover from an episode of pain that lasted a few days – from fibromyalgia & chemical sensitivities. I needed extra sleep. It is difficult for me, it always feels like I should be doing more. I am feeling better now, but still moving slower.

    I had extra things to do to help my kids. I took time to help them through challenging times. And, we needed more time to talk and play.

    During my down time I prioritized my writing projects. I miss my novel and want more time to work on it. And, I want to write our own family memoirs just for my family. I have wanted to do that since my kids were born almost 9 years ago. It would be a great sense of accomplishment and joy to know that I am making progress on the memoirs each week, so I’m setting up a private website to record them in blog format to make pages for a book later. I will use all the pictures and video we have to refresh my memory of the details in the earlier years.

    It will help me to set a more realistic goal for FridayFlash, which is probably about 2 stories a month so I can still have time for my other projects and downtime for health, which is an ongoing need.

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