Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Insecure Writers Support Group - March 2016


Good snowy morning, everyone! Today I sent my kids off to the bus stop in snow with a wind chill of 1 degree. Yep, one. Degree. Brrr. I just checked the weather on Mt. Everest and it is currently -10 degrees Fahrenheit. (But I bet the wind chill there is much, much worse.)

So that brings me to today's topic: mini-obsessions. A few months ago I read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air about the 1996 tragedy on Everest and it blew me away. I was so bummed when I missed seeing Everest in the theaters last summer. I did rent it last week and it was so-so compared to Krakauer's book. 

But the drama of these high mountain expeditions have consumed my attention for the past several days. In 2008, there was a similar tragedy on K2 which you could watch on YouTube in various documentaries. In 2002, several climbers fell into a crevasse on Mt. Hood and one of the rescue helicopters crashed trying to help the wounded. (Documentary also on YouTube.)

What is it about these stories that is so compelling? Nobody needs to climb mountains (except the Sherpas to earn a living). It's not good for the environment. (Although trash pickup on Everest is going well.) And if a climber gets into trouble near the top of these behemoths, there isn't much the other climbers can do. 

Anyway, I need to step back and focus on my two main jobs for March. First, I'm rereading and editing several short stories to rerelease them on Amazon. So formatting is a big part of that chore, not to mention redoing the covers. Then I've got to compose my posts for the A to Z challenge for both my blog and the Parallels: Felix Was Here blog.

So long Everest, it's time to get back to scaling my mountain of stuff.

Have you ever gotten hooked on a topic unrelated to your writing? If so, what was it? Are you doing the A to Z challenge this year? Do you write all of your posts beforehand? 

Thanks again, to Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh and this month's cohosts: co-hosts today are Lauren Hennessy, Lisa Buie-Collard, Lidy,Christine Rains, and Mary Aalgaard.

24 comments:

  1. Some people just really need a challenge in life I guess.

    I just wish I could get hooked on my writing again.

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  2. I would love to get hooked on my writing again, too. When I first started it was like that. Besides writing, I usually tend to get obsessed with musicals, too.
    I haven't even planned all of my A to Z posts yet, let alone written them. Should probably start that...

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  3. When I get hooked by things like that, I pay attention and take some notes because usually it means there's something there, like maybe an idea for a future story or character. After a bit though, I do tuck it away for another time then focus on the tasks at hand.

    Good luck with all of your projects!

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  4. I'm like Madeline. If I get hooked on something, I take notice. I learn as much as I can about it, indulge in it, and think how I can use it in a story.

    Good luck with A to Z and your mountain of stuff to do!

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  5. Yes I do. I agree with Madeline, pay attention. I have gotten some great ideas when it happens. I also get ideas from watching my favorite shows. I normally write it in my idea file and move on, so my mind doesn't bug me about it. I have close to 100 ideas in that file now, lol.

    I have not decided about A-S yet.

    Happy Writing & IWSG Day,
    Juneta @ Writer's Gambit

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  6. I think we get hooked on stuff like that because they are good stories. When I do research, it does happen often that I spend two hours looking at stuff and lose all my writing time! Good luck with your own mountain. I'm tackling mine. :)

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  7. I was, and still am, fascinated by the Chilean soccer team that crashed in the Andes. I read their book Alive. I also got distracted by a story that popped up on someone's facebook feed about a family that hid in the mountains of Russia to avoid (one of the rulers). Stories of survival are fascinating, more so when they're true. Maybe you can work that into your own stories.

    Mary at Play off the Page

    IWSG co-host. Thanks for stopping by my blog today.

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  8. I'm not climbing a mountain, that's for sure!
    In researching my A to Z Challenge topics, I got a bit sidetracked...

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  9. Hi Tamara. I get hooked on everything it seems. My two kiddos keep me hopping and at times, very frustrating times, I want to write so bad but I can't. I get into all their studies, activities, and then I just love to cheer them on from the bleachers. I also can get hooked on exercise too. I think it's pretty awesome how you love the adventure of Everest and other natural suspense possibilities that stem from nature. I am unable to do the A to Z challenge this year. Maybe next year if all goes well with my current work in progress, and my kids stuff of course. As far as writing my posts before hand, I usually start them a couple of days prior to the release. I like to let them settle for a bit on paper before I release them. I tend to repeat myself otherwise, and I don't want to bore anyone.

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  10. Once in a while, I binge watch something on Netflix and home projects can make me neglect my writing. If I could afford to go off on an epic adventure, it wouldn't be to somewhere cold.

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  11. It's cold where you live! Brrr!

    I saw Everest. I think I liked the book better. After reading the book, and seeing the movie, I have no desire to climb a mountain!

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  12. I think being sidetracked can be a mental health event. I love finding things that take me out of my manuscript of the moment because I always return refreshed. Loved Everest.

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  13. I think being sidetracked can be a mental health event. I love finding things that take me out of my manuscript of the moment because I always return refreshed. Loved Everest.

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  14. Everyone wants to see someone accomplish something nearly impossible. I think that's what Everest has always represented. Of course we laud other everests in all different realms.

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  15. I can easily get lost in research for a story and take a looooong time to get the actual writing. One of those topics was Tibet...

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  16. I do get interested in other subjects and love researching them, like after watching Braveheart, I researched the true story behind the man, which of course was very different from the movie, but it was fun to find out new (haha) things. I'm still debating about A to Z. I try to write my posts before, but am not always successful. I've done it for the past four or five years... Thanks for dropping by my blog!

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  17. Oh yes, Pinterest is a great place for me to get hooked on something unrelated to my writing. Like drawing. Or wire working. Or anything steampunk...

    Best of luck scaling your mountain and staying warm!

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  18. Yes! I find I can get distracted very easily. When a topic interests me, I'll be googling away, reading all about it whenever I can... so you're not alone!

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  19. We had Into Thin Air in our house at some point but I don't think it got read (bummer). When I saw the movie previews, I thought the same thing about nobody needing climb mountains. In fact, that idea that the dude left his (pregnant?) wife behind was really irritating to me. Here's another story about a "brave" man conquering (what? himself?) while the woman stays back home as motivation or even conflict for our hero. Let's just say I'm over that whole concept, at least as a movie. The book I would still read because I've heard it's fantastic.

    Here's my IWSG March post: How to Succeed at Twitter Without Really Trying

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  20. Have you read Krakauer's book about Chris McCandless? I was obsessed with that for a while...I have no idea why. Perhaps there's something about Jon Krakauer books that inspire obsession.

    I haven't read Into Thin Air yet, but it's on the stack.

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  21. Maybe your brain is secretly memorizing information for a story you might write later on!
    Don't fight it!

    Heather

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  22. Great post. My poor little brain stays confused with so many thoughts rambling around in it. I have to concentrate to stay with one subject. I'm doing the A to Z. Need to get started on it.

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