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Blogger Four:
I am still on a kick about getting my muse to return. It occurs to me it may be analogous to exercising. My idea is that it is like when runners talk about getting in the zone. They get so comfortable with running they are able to shift mind states, with the zone becoming their nirvana.
I suspect the zone is not a place one arrives quickly or easily. Since I have never personally been there, I can only speculate; but it seems likely one would have to run and run and then run some more for a very long time before being in the zone becomes a reality. Here is my idea. Everything up to stepping into the zone is exercising. Everything after that is being a runner. Sure, there are probably a gifted few who bypass the exercise part and step into the zone without missing a step. Here I am limiting my idea to regular mortals who cannot bypass the exercise part.
The analogy for writers then says write and write and then write some more for a very long time before being in the zone (communing with one’s muse) becomes a reality. This is more familiar territory. I have personally been there and hope to return soon. Yes, the gifted few probably slip into the zone without all that tedious exercise but for us mere mortals, it seems there is no shortcut to our nirvana.
I just hate it when I have to do this but I have no good alternative but to quote the famous Anonymous twice in the same post. I fear you may think I am making this stuff up. I should be so smart. At any rate, I “commit to be fit.” I will write and write and then write some more for a very long time. It’s definitely true, “The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side-stepping responsibility, and pushing their luck!” I commit to conscientiously refrain from all such superfluous jumping, running, side-stepping, and pushing, understanding they serve no legitimate purpose.
Sometimes I write better, sometimes I write worse.
Sometimes I write Pros, sometimes I write verse.
Sometimes I write more, sometimes I write less.
I commit to be fit, I exercise for success.