Saturday, May 20, 2017

A Mile A Chapter - Writing and Exercise ( @KateHillRomance #pnr #werewolf #vampire)

Grit cover

By Kate Hill (Guest Blogger)

I love writing. To me, it’s a way to escape as well as a way to express myself. There is a short list of things I don’t like about writing. At the top of that list is that writing is sedentary.

It’s easy to sit at a desk and get lost for hours in a book. For me, sitting for extended periods of time can be a problem, especially now that I’m older. Body parts stiffen up and I have a pelvic issue that is aggravated by sitting. I also enjoy movement, and for most of my life I’ve worked out on a regular basis. Though I set aside time for formal workouts at least five days a week, I’ve found it helpful both physically and emotionally to sneak in spurts of exercise throughout my day.

Since exercise and writing are important in my life, I’ve found ways to combine the two, in particular during the editing stages of my books. One of my favorite ways to do this is my mile a chapter routine. I work on edits and proof reading for one chapter, and then I get up and walk a mile. That gives me a fifteen to twenty minute break between chapters that allows me to exercise my body and also clear my mind so that I’m more focused when I sit down to work on the next chapter. If I’m doing a five chapter novella, by the time I’m finished, I’ve walked five miles, which is about ten thousand steps. I love to wear a pedometer so that I can keep track of my steps throughout the day. Sometimes I’ll do other types of exercise in between chapters as well. Whatever keeps me moving, feeling good, and inspired to work.

I use a similar routine when I’m writing a first draft. I set a goal of five hundred or one thousand words and do some type of exercise in between. It can be a short walk, yoga, or calisthenics. Five to ten minute movement breaks are preferable when I’m working on a first draft because I don’t want to lose track of the story. When writing a first draft, I like to go with the flow, so if I’m in the middle of a scene that I want to finish, I won’t stop at a particular word count, but in general I try to get up and move every half hour to an hour.

As a writer, I’ve found that stretching is especially important because typing for long periods of time creates tension in my upper body. Unfortunately, stretching is something that I don’t do often enough throughout the day. I find that keeping an exercise journal motivates me and reminds me to fit stretching into my day. The journal also makes me happy because it’s another kind of writing and it makes referencing past routines easy.

Do you like working out? What are some ways you enjoy fitting exercise into your daily routine?


Fangs and Fists 2: Grit

By Kate Hill

An erotic paranormal romance from Changeling Press.

Blurb

Werewolf gladiator Grit faced his own mortality in the arena, only to be resurrected by a demon. Grit now lives a shadowy existence as one of the soulless, remembering only bits and pieces of his former life. Nonetheless, he recognizes evil and knows he must fight for the future of his young son, as well as the rest of the world.

Zari, a vampire warrior, helped Grit escape the tower where he had been imprisoned. She had feelings for Grit when they'd first met, but at the time he had been mated to another wolf. Now that he's on his own, they're free to explore their feelings as they fight side by side as part of the rebellion against the demons. In the midst of war, their love grows, but danger is everywhere.

Haylen, the demon who resurrected Grit, offers a bargain that may save or destroy the rebellion. Whatever the outcome, Zari and Grit intend to face it together and explore the once forbidden passion between them.

About Kate


Always a fan of romance and the paranormal, Kate Hill started writing over twenty years ago for pleasure. Her first story, a short erotic vampire tale, was accepted for publication in 1996. Since then she has sold over one hundred short stories, novellas and novels.

When she's not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, spending time with her family and pets and running the Compelling Beasts Blog, dedicated to antagonists, antiheroes and paranormal creatures. She also writes under the name Saloni Quinby.

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3 comments:

Kate Hill said...

Thank you for having me here today, Lisabet!

Lisabet Sarai said...

Hi, Kate! Welcome to my blog!

I like your ideas about mixing writing and exercise. Normally, I work until I'm too stiff to move, THEN go down to the gym to get the kinks out, but your plan is probably a lot healthier.

Good luck with the book!

Annabeth Leong said...

Really interesting routine! I use Darebee's 100 Office Workouts book in a way sort of similar to what you describe. I try to aim for around one every hour I'm sitting at my desk. As you say, it really helps my writing as well as my body. One thing I've noticed is that the habit helps me when I get distracted, too, because it makes me notice and stop.

Great luck with the book! It sounds interesting!

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