Walk It Off - WN 006

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Dumpster diving. Mall walking. A 19th-century transcendentalist. These are only a FEW of the things that you have to look forward to in the sixth episode of the "Write Now" podcast.
Walk it off.
It was my dad's advice to me as a child, and it's my advice to you now as a writer. There's an interesting relationship between writing and moving -- between kinetic and creative energy. I hope you've had a chance to discover this for yourself. But if not, there's no time like the present to try it out.

Going for walks helps me deal with writers' block and find new (or rediscover old) inspiration. It is a great way to refresh your perspective, get the blood/oxygen pumping into your brain, and simply reconnect with the world around you.

And if walking isn't your thing, or if you face physical challenges or medical difficulties, that is completely fine! I've noticed that I get very similar benefits from riding in a car and gazing out the window, or otherwise having my physical body transported through time & space.

Also! Here are the texts I reference in this episode, if you're interested in checking them out:
1. "Walking" by Henry David Thoreau, via The Atlantic
2. "A Poem is A Walk" by A.R. Ammons, via Claims for Poetry
Energy begets energy. Remember that next time you get stuck.
Book of the week!
Ugh. I read the next book in the "Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter" series, and in doing so decided I was done with the "Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter" series. Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton is the seventh book in the series and... for a number of reasons, I simply didn't enjoy this installation.

It was relatively plot-light, which is sometimes OK with books and book series where the main focus is the main character's growth and relationships with other characters. But I really can't say those are especially well done here, either.

Don't get me wrong -- I love horror. But everyone has subtle preferences where genres are concerned. I prefer creepy tales of psychological horror and madness and supernatural creatures and loud crashes in the basement. (See: House of Leaves, The Haunting of Hill House.) I don't enjoy the side of horror that revels in torture and cruelty and hurting people. And that is what's in the spotlight here. There are multiple violent rapes, intentional cruelty, and much else that I find personally distasteful.

So! You might enjoy continuing with this series if you're OK with the more torture-y side of horror (and no judgment here if you are!) -- it simply wasn't something I enjoyed. It was fun while it lasted, Anita.

Keep up-to-date with my reading adventures on Goodreads.
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Tell me your thoughts.
Does taking a walk ever help you write, or is it just me? How else do you escape writers' block? Let me know in the comments!
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