The Exercise of Writing: The Big Round 'em Up List

No sweating here today. Just some sweet relaxing and reading. It's the end of a satisfying week of co-blogging with Liz about The Exercise of Writing, and all we need now is to hear from YOU:


The Big Round-em Up List

Of poetry and ninjas (Kelly Fineman)

Why Writing is Like Golf (Caroline Hickey)

Hey There, Sports Fan (Little Willow)

How I like my dance is how I like my writing (Laura Purdie Salas)

Take the Plunge (HipWriterMama)

Baloney for Dollies (Bowling) (House on the Glade Hill)

Ode to a Gymnast (The Miss Rumphius Effect)

Writing and Running (Art, Words, Life)

"A good hike is like a good book..." (Liz in Ink)

"Maybe this is what I do for my writing students. I offer adjustments." (Liz on yoga and teaching)

Passion, Risk, and Mountain Climbing (Liz in Ink)

How Running Helps My Writing (Laurie Halse Anderson)

Comparing bodybuilding and becoming an author (Don Tate)

All these fabulous sports metaphors left in the comments section on Thursday
(Thank you, Nick, Tricia, Kelly, Amy, Laura, and Sam!)

If You Want to Write, the sections about walking (recommended by Julie Swanson, author of the sports-related book, Going For the Record)

From Justine Larbalester's Blog, a description of the panel she moderated at ConFusion, a SF convention:

SATURDAY 19 JANUARY: 1100 Den 1 Fantastic Sports
Organized sports are a vital part almost every culture on the globe. But sf and fantasy novels tend to overlook this key aspect of world-building. We examine what sports are and what they tell us about a culture, and dig up some good examples in sf and fantasy. Justine Larbalestier (M), Scott Westerfeld, Steve Ainsworth, Dave Klecha and Catherine Shaffer.

Ballet: From HipWriterMama's interview with Lorie Ann Grover:

HWM: What has been the biggest challenge of your writing career and how did you tackle it?

Lorie Ann: The biggest challenge was probably persevering through the six years of rejection. I think ballet training came to my aid. Every day you plie. Over and over. Every day you sit at the computer and write again.

From Brian Lies (author of Bats at the Beach) interviewed by Barbara O'Connor:

"I think getting published is a lot like golf (which I don't play)--if you perfect your swing, the ball should go more or less where you want it to. Likewise, if you learn to tell stories in an original and compelling way, either in words or pictures, and hone your skills so that they're truly professional. . . you're going to get published. It may take a while, but you'll get published."

Added:

At Through the Tollbooth, Stephanie Greene writes:

"Voice is a sound. You can hear it. But while you may hear it in your head, your writing shouldn’t come from there; it should come from a complete knowledge of your character. Many writers talk about it as coming from the heart. For me, it’s more like water up a plant: it comes from the ground, through the soles of your feet, runs up your legs, your thighs, your torso, envelopes your heart, your lungs, courses down your arms to the tips of your fingers, and, last but not least, reaches your brain."

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Liz, THANK YOU SO MUCH for playing along with me this week!

And thank you everyone who left a comment and encouraged us from the sidelines. You rocked!