We made it. The end of the month and the alphabet. Woot!
Link: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2015.html
Z is a tough one and I'm going to use similar words for both of my blogs. They do work well though and I think will be a good last post for the challenge. For this one, we are going to talk about fiction and fitness in relation to...
Zeal
Definition: great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.
Fiction
In fiction we pick the story we work on and hopefully it is one that we have enthusiasm or zeal towards in order to have the drive to get the work down. Each draft takes pushing and effort. A little zeal towards the project helps, though one can't rely on just enthusiasm the whole time, but it certainly can help the process.
Characters can have zeal too, whether it's for the good or the bad. Conflict can be incorporated when two different great energies/passions go against each other. There is plenty of room for zeal in fiction.
Fitness
I think it's also pretty common for people to have zeal when it comes to fitness. When posting on forums asking about how to force oneself to do a type of activity they hate because it's healthy, the most common answer is: don't. Find something that you will enjoy and try out different things because you never know. Something you didn't expect to enjoy might be a type of fitness that you have zeal towards in the future. And our goals can be something we need zeal towards in order to reach. So, get zealous and enjoy your fitness.
Do you have zeal?
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Y is for Yet
Almost to the end but we aren't there quite yet. Will I be able to find a Z topic for both fiction and fitness? You will have to come back tomorrow to find out but also check out the other blogs to see who has survived the month over at the A to Z Challenge.
Y is for Yet
I picked this word after a few hours of trying to come up with a good topic that could work for both fiction and fitness for a reason. Often times we hear not to let the word "can't" get in our way. It even has become a slogan or saying to take the word "can't" out of our personal vocabulary. And while I get the sentiment, I actually do not agree. In fact, I get a little teen angsty and want to tell people to stop trying to limit my vocabulary. lol
To some degree, there are going to be things that we may not be able to do for varying reasons. That, however, is not my focus either because well, that doesn't start with a Y. Instead, I want to offer that sometimes instead of not using the word at all, instead that we add one to it.
I can't... yet.
It is usually something we may not be capable of at this time but that doesn't mean we can't work towards accomplishing it in the future. There are lots of things I can't do now but if I want to work towards them then can't will be come can.
Fiction
I can't submit a novel... yet.
I can't write finish a world building project... yet.
I can't decide which novel to write for NaNoWriMo... yet.
Fitness
I can't kayak... yet.
I can't coordinate a fist fight... yet.
I can't jog a 10k... yet.
What is something you can't do... yet?
Y is for Yet
I picked this word after a few hours of trying to come up with a good topic that could work for both fiction and fitness for a reason. Often times we hear not to let the word "can't" get in our way. It even has become a slogan or saying to take the word "can't" out of our personal vocabulary. And while I get the sentiment, I actually do not agree. In fact, I get a little teen angsty and want to tell people to stop trying to limit my vocabulary. lol
To some degree, there are going to be things that we may not be able to do for varying reasons. That, however, is not my focus either because well, that doesn't start with a Y. Instead, I want to offer that sometimes instead of not using the word at all, instead that we add one to it.
I can't... yet.
It is usually something we may not be capable of at this time but that doesn't mean we can't work towards accomplishing it in the future. There are lots of things I can't do now but if I want to work towards them then can't will be come can.
Fiction
I can't submit a novel... yet.
I can't write finish a world building project... yet.
I can't decide which novel to write for NaNoWriMo... yet.
Fitness
I can't kayak... yet.
I can't coordinate a fist fight... yet.
I can't jog a 10k... yet.
What is something you can't do... yet?
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
X is for Xena
Yep, that's right. Time to find something to talk about that uses the letter X and somehow relates to both writing and fitness. Woot. Check out the other blogs in the A to Z challenge in order to see other X topics. Bet I'm not the only one who picked Xena this year.
Xena, Warrior Princess
Yep, that's the one. I did watch some of the show growing but though I have to admit that I didn't see very many and only had a passing interest overall. I know a few people who really liked the show though and the character in particular. Let's get into the two topics for today...
Fiction
One of the main elements I liked of the show was the story involved. There were some interesting episodes and the character dynamics were entertaining. It's a good example of fiction that included fantasy elements along with lots of action. I liked the friend characters a little more at times, Gabrielle, which oddly the same goes for Buffy as I saw a couple but thought the friend (Willow) was cute. hmm Anyways, as for fiction writing we can learn a lot from this show and it has inspired some of my stories (along with the strong female YA books I read growing up).
While I write mostly m/m fiction, including YA. I have two fantasy novels that have a female main character. One of them is a raven warrior, or wants to be but girls don't get trained. That story is probably my nod to characters like Xena and Alanna.
Though I should try watching an episode some time to look at the action. That's something I want to work on in my own writing.
Fitness
Xena had to be fit in order to do the many things she did in the show, and to wear the outfit. Fantasy does have strange fashion for female warriors as they seem to do battle well with minimal clothes at times. Not the point. One can have inspirations for fitness that are fictional and for some, the thought of being a physically strong woman like Xena, is a good source of inspiration.
I want to learn some form of combat, preferably hand to hand though it would be interesting to get into some weapon handling. I don't know when I will do it, but maybe in the next year or two. Right now I'm working on getting strong in the gym and lifting those weights. Though, I probably won't be trying to follow the same fashion sense when I do. hehe
Have you ever seen Xena Warrior Princess? What fictional character gives you fitness inspiration?
Xena, Warrior Princess
Yep, that's the one. I did watch some of the show growing but though I have to admit that I didn't see very many and only had a passing interest overall. I know a few people who really liked the show though and the character in particular. Let's get into the two topics for today...
Fiction
One of the main elements I liked of the show was the story involved. There were some interesting episodes and the character dynamics were entertaining. It's a good example of fiction that included fantasy elements along with lots of action. I liked the friend characters a little more at times, Gabrielle, which oddly the same goes for Buffy as I saw a couple but thought the friend (Willow) was cute. hmm Anyways, as for fiction writing we can learn a lot from this show and it has inspired some of my stories (along with the strong female YA books I read growing up).
While I write mostly m/m fiction, including YA. I have two fantasy novels that have a female main character. One of them is a raven warrior, or wants to be but girls don't get trained. That story is probably my nod to characters like Xena and Alanna.
Though I should try watching an episode some time to look at the action. That's something I want to work on in my own writing.
Fitness
Xena had to be fit in order to do the many things she did in the show, and to wear the outfit. Fantasy does have strange fashion for female warriors as they seem to do battle well with minimal clothes at times. Not the point. One can have inspirations for fitness that are fictional and for some, the thought of being a physically strong woman like Xena, is a good source of inspiration.
I want to learn some form of combat, preferably hand to hand though it would be interesting to get into some weapon handling. I don't know when I will do it, but maybe in the next year or two. Right now I'm working on getting strong in the gym and lifting those weights. Though, I probably won't be trying to follow the same fashion sense when I do. hehe
Have you ever seen Xena Warrior Princess? What fictional character gives you fitness inspiration?
Monday, April 27, 2015
W is for Week
Getting there. W is an interesting letter as it has more options than say Z but at times it's hard to get ones that fit certain themes. And no, I don't know what to do for X yet, lol. Check out all of the other blogs still posting as we near the end of the challenge here.
Fiction
I chose week in part because how we view time is actually important in fiction writing. It's common to just think of the days, weeks and months the way we do in our own lives. However, if you write fantasy and science fiction, those concepts might not be the same. And even in the real world, not everyone has the same week. A lot of people work mon-fri and have the weekend off but there are those like me who work all weekend and have their days off at different times. So, how one labels their week varies and characters might have different views as well.
Sometimes, when writing a story, I do struggle with how to convey time going by without making it too obvious or overdone. There are some aspects of the reader will be able to catch on without putting up glaring signs, but other times, it's just part of the process. I have to go back and figure out how long certain parts take and how long the whole story takes overall because a story can span a day, a week or many years, it's all in how you tell it.
Fitness
The fitness week is important because many programs recommend following a certain type of schedule. Lifting programs are often 3-6 days depending on the type of program though the more common ones I've seen are 3-4 days and the rest are light rest days where activity is okay. Even with running, the couch to 5k training and other distance programs have set days and weeks to follow.
My weeks have varied over the few months for a few reasons. My work week, how our schedule is set up is Thursday-Wednesday (yeah, it's weird). Most I know follow Monday-Sunday schedules so the do certain exercise splits and often have one or two days off on the weekend. I'm trying to be more consistent on my schedule. Right now, my fitness week is: Mon-Wed-Fri is C25k Training and Tues-Thurs-Sat is lifting. Sunday is rest. This was pretty good when my days off were Thursday and Friday as that gave me gym on one day and cardio on the other. But my days off during the week vary, so that isn't always the case. But that is how my week looks at the moment for fitness. Who knows how that will change.
How was your week? Do you plan your fitness week the same as your work week, and what about your fiction week?
Fiction
I chose week in part because how we view time is actually important in fiction writing. It's common to just think of the days, weeks and months the way we do in our own lives. However, if you write fantasy and science fiction, those concepts might not be the same. And even in the real world, not everyone has the same week. A lot of people work mon-fri and have the weekend off but there are those like me who work all weekend and have their days off at different times. So, how one labels their week varies and characters might have different views as well.
Sometimes, when writing a story, I do struggle with how to convey time going by without making it too obvious or overdone. There are some aspects of the reader will be able to catch on without putting up glaring signs, but other times, it's just part of the process. I have to go back and figure out how long certain parts take and how long the whole story takes overall because a story can span a day, a week or many years, it's all in how you tell it.
Fitness
The fitness week is important because many programs recommend following a certain type of schedule. Lifting programs are often 3-6 days depending on the type of program though the more common ones I've seen are 3-4 days and the rest are light rest days where activity is okay. Even with running, the couch to 5k training and other distance programs have set days and weeks to follow.
My weeks have varied over the few months for a few reasons. My work week, how our schedule is set up is Thursday-Wednesday (yeah, it's weird). Most I know follow Monday-Sunday schedules so the do certain exercise splits and often have one or two days off on the weekend. I'm trying to be more consistent on my schedule. Right now, my fitness week is: Mon-Wed-Fri is C25k Training and Tues-Thurs-Sat is lifting. Sunday is rest. This was pretty good when my days off were Thursday and Friday as that gave me gym on one day and cardio on the other. But my days off during the week vary, so that isn't always the case. But that is how my week looks at the moment for fitness. Who knows how that will change.
How was your week? Do you plan your fitness week the same as your work week, and what about your fiction week?
Saturday, April 25, 2015
V is for Victory
But not so much for doing blog posts beforehand like I had planned back in March. Nope, I have some other victory aspects in mind for the V day in the A to Z challenge.
Fiction
There are different victories in writing fiction. Some are for the writer and others are found within the stories themselves as sometimes we let characters succeed/win. Just writing the story is a victory. I remember my first time making it to 50k for NaNoWriMo. That was quite the victory though now it can't even compete with the 155k and 165k years. Doing a rewrite or edit is also a victory. In fact, sometimes just working on the story for like 200 words can count as victory for the writer. It's all in how you look at success and progress.
Characters can have victories too and it doesn't just have to be at the end either. Much like how it is useful to increase the conflict and have it develop throughout the whole story instead of dropping just one major problem on the characters all at once near the very end, it's also useful to let there be varying amounts of success along the way. Giving the characters set backs and victories (no matter how big or small) help to move the story along and also give the reader hope of what may come in the end.
Fitness
There are many different victories on the road to health and fitness. Some of them are measurable by scales or other devices. These are ones like weight, body fat percentage, and other measurements that people use to track success. I'm working on all of them as I've lost just over 50 lbs, inches have gone down and I hope to some day get a dexa scan for a more accurate body fat measurement. However, the number victories aren't the only ones to focus on in fitness.
Some of the victories I enjoy even more than seeing that device in the bathroom change numbers are types known as NSV (non-scale victories). In particular, I would call them: I can't believe I did it. These are things like: "wow, I jogged 22 whole minutes" and "I deadlifted 200 lbs for 4 reps, that is more than my own weight." There are many things we do that once might have been less possible when working on fitness. Each one is awesome and I can't wait to find more victories along the way.
Victory if mine! I mean, what was your most recent victory?
Fiction
There are different victories in writing fiction. Some are for the writer and others are found within the stories themselves as sometimes we let characters succeed/win. Just writing the story is a victory. I remember my first time making it to 50k for NaNoWriMo. That was quite the victory though now it can't even compete with the 155k and 165k years. Doing a rewrite or edit is also a victory. In fact, sometimes just working on the story for like 200 words can count as victory for the writer. It's all in how you look at success and progress.
Characters can have victories too and it doesn't just have to be at the end either. Much like how it is useful to increase the conflict and have it develop throughout the whole story instead of dropping just one major problem on the characters all at once near the very end, it's also useful to let there be varying amounts of success along the way. Giving the characters set backs and victories (no matter how big or small) help to move the story along and also give the reader hope of what may come in the end.
Fitness
There are many different victories on the road to health and fitness. Some of them are measurable by scales or other devices. These are ones like weight, body fat percentage, and other measurements that people use to track success. I'm working on all of them as I've lost just over 50 lbs, inches have gone down and I hope to some day get a dexa scan for a more accurate body fat measurement. However, the number victories aren't the only ones to focus on in fitness.
Some of the victories I enjoy even more than seeing that device in the bathroom change numbers are types known as NSV (non-scale victories). In particular, I would call them: I can't believe I did it. These are things like: "wow, I jogged 22 whole minutes" and "I deadlifted 200 lbs for 4 reps, that is more than my own weight." There are many things we do that once might have been less possible when working on fitness. Each one is awesome and I can't wait to find more victories along the way.
Victory if mine! I mean, what was your most recent victory?
Friday, April 24, 2015
U is for Unique
I'm a bit late on this one and I had a hard time coming up with a U topic dealing with both writing and fitness for my contribution to the A to Z blog challenge.
Fiction
What makes your story unique? What aspect about it will make the reader want to read more? There are many different factors and even a familiar story can take a different spin. How many Snow White or Cinderella stories are there? I've lost count and I'm sure there are even more. I'm working on a Snow White story even with a male main character. It's fun to play with the familiar and put some unique spins to it. Boy snow white character, boy servant love interest and both male and female dwarves are keeping me well entertained as I slowly write the novel.
Fitness
Sometimes it's okay to not go the unique route in trying to make something spectacular. Like being a newbie weight lifter and starting out first with already known programs instead of picking random lifts to do. However, you can make your experience and time doing fitness activities unique. Each walk doesn't have to be the same and you will come across different events over time. You could look at it as just another walk or hour on said cardio machine, or just more lifting but how you conduct yourself and the secret thoughts you have can make it more of a unique experience. Probably why something like Run Zombie has become a popular app, getting the experience of a zombie threat/story while walk/jogging is more entertaining than the hum drum of just more time spent on pavement.
How do you make your story unique? What is unique about your fitness?
Fiction
What makes your story unique? What aspect about it will make the reader want to read more? There are many different factors and even a familiar story can take a different spin. How many Snow White or Cinderella stories are there? I've lost count and I'm sure there are even more. I'm working on a Snow White story even with a male main character. It's fun to play with the familiar and put some unique spins to it. Boy snow white character, boy servant love interest and both male and female dwarves are keeping me well entertained as I slowly write the novel.
Fitness
Sometimes it's okay to not go the unique route in trying to make something spectacular. Like being a newbie weight lifter and starting out first with already known programs instead of picking random lifts to do. However, you can make your experience and time doing fitness activities unique. Each walk doesn't have to be the same and you will come across different events over time. You could look at it as just another walk or hour on said cardio machine, or just more lifting but how you conduct yourself and the secret thoughts you have can make it more of a unique experience. Probably why something like Run Zombie has become a popular app, getting the experience of a zombie threat/story while walk/jogging is more entertaining than the hum drum of just more time spent on pavement.
How do you make your story unique? What is unique about your fitness?
Thursday, April 23, 2015
T is for Technology
Another, slightly delayed, blog post with this time the letter emphasis is on T. Had a few potentials with that, talking, tall, time, and such. However, I went with technology for my A to Z Challenge blog post.
Fiction
Many uses for technology in fiction no matter the genre. We use technology as writers such as internet, computers, blogs, cell phones (I can blog from my cell phone now) and many other options to both do the task of writing and to inspire more tales of fiction. Laptop wise I am both Mac and PC, as I have a macbook and a regular netbook. However, with technology comes problems. Macbook has a keyboard attached to it now cause some of the letters won't work and the mousepad stopped working over a year ago. May some day be able to get it fixed, but for now, do what it takes to get by while still being able to write.
Technology can be many different things in our stories as well. The world might be the old style epic fantasy with horses for transportation and no guns, but they still have their own versions of technology. Magic can also use tools, which is technology. Then there is science fiction, which is a whole playland for tech creation. Have fun with your technology while still keeping the reader interested in the overall story.
Fitness
Some technology can come in hand for fitness too. My favorite one is the Ipod, which I use for couch to 5k training and while lifting weights. I've had my Ipod for around 10 years and it still works great. I've got through a few different sets of headphones and my armband is already coming apart from overuse, but the music player? That is working just fine.
We also use technology to help get in shape. I don't use exercise bikes, but I have done my fair share of walking on a treadmill. I like it as a form of cardio, though outside is better. In fact, some day I wouldn't mind a home gym with lots of weights and a purple treadmill (yeah, I've seen them, hehe). There are other gadgets as well and phone apps can help, but I am old school in keeping track of my workouts as I use a pen and paper.
What is your favorite fictional technology? What tech equipment do you use for fitness?
Fiction
Many uses for technology in fiction no matter the genre. We use technology as writers such as internet, computers, blogs, cell phones (I can blog from my cell phone now) and many other options to both do the task of writing and to inspire more tales of fiction. Laptop wise I am both Mac and PC, as I have a macbook and a regular netbook. However, with technology comes problems. Macbook has a keyboard attached to it now cause some of the letters won't work and the mousepad stopped working over a year ago. May some day be able to get it fixed, but for now, do what it takes to get by while still being able to write.
Technology can be many different things in our stories as well. The world might be the old style epic fantasy with horses for transportation and no guns, but they still have their own versions of technology. Magic can also use tools, which is technology. Then there is science fiction, which is a whole playland for tech creation. Have fun with your technology while still keeping the reader interested in the overall story.
Fitness
Some technology can come in hand for fitness too. My favorite one is the Ipod, which I use for couch to 5k training and while lifting weights. I've had my Ipod for around 10 years and it still works great. I've got through a few different sets of headphones and my armband is already coming apart from overuse, but the music player? That is working just fine.
We also use technology to help get in shape. I don't use exercise bikes, but I have done my fair share of walking on a treadmill. I like it as a form of cardio, though outside is better. In fact, some day I wouldn't mind a home gym with lots of weights and a purple treadmill (yeah, I've seen them, hehe). There are other gadgets as well and phone apps can help, but I am old school in keeping track of my workouts as I use a pen and paper.
What is your favorite fictional technology? What tech equipment do you use for fitness?
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