VH1 Detox

Help us! Help us! VH1, the music video channel, has magically appeared on our TV and we can't look away. We spent over an hour last night watching VH1 Classic one-hit wonders. Falco, The Divinyls, Big Country...give us more!!!

That was after I'd spent 30 minutes that afternoon watching "Pop-up Video's."

Get it off my TV! Make it go away. I have a life I need to pay attention too...

Creative Writing Prompts

I've recently begun spending time each morning doing a creative writing prompt. I get up at 5, grab a cup of coffee and write for anywhere from 10-40 minutes. At this point, the prompts are random ones I'm pulling from a book. The idea is to become accustomed to doing creative writing first thing every morning so that I'll eventually move back into doing more novel writing.

This morning's prompt just asked that I list the Top 10 Events Of My Life. "Top" meaning significant. So they could be happy, traumatic, rage-invoking, mellow, whatever. I had a slow start, even forgetting things such as "moving to North Carolina." 

It's a good exercise. Try and see what you come up with. I was surprised at some of the things I'd forgotten and what was included on my final list.

If you do this exercise, chances are you list the "big" events - marriage, children, divorce, jobs, etc. The second part of the prompt asks you to list 10 more top ten events, this time feeling free to include smaller ones.

My eyes skimmed ahead so I know tomorrow's prompt involves choosing one of the things from either list and doing something with them. But I don't know what yet--sorry. =)  Still, the above exercise can be done quickly and it's interesting. If you have a few spare moments today, give it a try.

On My Mind

When people ask "What's up?" here's what I tell them:

• Contact person for feature article profile for paper. Arrange time to meet for interview. Send photographer to his house. Write and submit article. Due Sept. 12
• Write 750-word Piedmont Mag article. Due: Sept. 1
• Contact 3 artists to interview for Reidsville magazine piece. Write 850-word article. Due: Sept. 1
• Research background for cat rescue piece for Purina newsletter. Contact and interview 5 sources for story. Write 1700-word article plus sidebar. Due: Sept. 10
• Prepare Interview questions for author of keynote speech I'm writing. Due: Sept. 23
• Research background for speech. Write first draft. Due: Sept. 8
• Print and mail contract to new employer. Due today
• Research and write 1500-word article for new employer. Due: Sept. 10
• Contact 2 magazine editors to find out where the heck my payments are. Due whenever my bank account reads zero.
• Remind other magazine editor yet again that she still hasn't approved my topic for a column due Sept. 30
• Research background / material for website I'm writing. Write new content. Due: Sept. 14
• Edit of e-book. Due: Sept. 30
• Go to post office, bank, and CVS - need eye makeup remover and hair conditioner
• Research and write 5 phone scripts. Due: Sept. 3
• Contact client who cancelled last week's meeting and see if (please no) wants to reschedule soon
• Think of new and interesting 30-second commercial for tomorrow's networking meeting.
• Go through the load of mail and files gasping to be organized on side of my desk. Due: Probably never...
• Buy sympathy card (add to going out list above)
• Conduct massive amounts of new research for new Diversity Woman magazine for which I will be assistant editor. Brainstorm story ideas, front-of-book content/columns/visual look, get to know competing magazines, etc. Submission ideas due to editorial team Sept. 20th.
• Need to start prep work at some point for 4 upcoming speeches - 2 in October and 2 in November

What's up with you? - Dena

Sunday Long Run

Just walked in the house from running 12 miles this morning with my running group. I had a decent run with a 9:30 pace but my body is aching right now. I'm going to go eat a bottle of Advil and hop in the shower.

This is only the second time in my life I've ever made it 12 miles. The other time was during the actual half-marathon when I ran the 13.2. Next weekend is a 14-mile run which will set a new record for me.

I'm happy to see my time and strength improving, yet I have those moments (especially today, say around mile 10) where I think, "If 10 miles is this hard, how will I ever do 26.2? " Time is flying by and December 8th will be here before I know it. I know I'll be ready physically--it's getting my mental game in shape that I need to work on.

But for now--whoo-hoo! 12 miles! (Please God, send me a masseur.)

Dena