[Macros]

Ah new years resolutions, itching to be broken like a breakable itchy thing.

No more!

I've finally got my ass in gear and taken a small, wobbling, wheezing step towards keeping one for a start.
But I find it very difficult to get/ stay motivated.

My resolutions were quite simple - cut down on the drink, get fit again, make a proper effort to learn the guitar and get serious about my writing.

I've started running on a Monday and Friday night, playing football on a wednesday and hopefully will be taking the dogs up the mountain for a big walk saturday or sunday every week.

My problem is, I expect instant results, this is the start of the 3rd week (2nd serious week) of my new exercise regime and I see no noticable gains, I feel like chucking it and resigning myself to carrying my pot belly (affectionately named podge) and mini moobies for a long time to come.
Its likely to get harder still, my running partner now plays football on a monday night and isnt home early from work on a friday, and when you're running alone its so easy to slow up or stop early and make pointless excuses, whereas when you have abud there, (especially me and jo) neither of you wants to admit weakness and so push onto the agreed target.
So, I got out of the shower (not five minutes past) and weighed myself for the first time in months. Buck Nekkid (calm yourself ladies) to ensure it was an accurate measure (and desperate for as low a reading as possible) and I'm a good stone over the weight I was happy being. I can't even blame christmas weight, I've been carrying it for quite a while.

Encouragement is hard to come by in my house (not that my parents don't care for my health, they don't see physical illness, they're happy enough). especially for the writing and guitar resolutions. The guitar is an unholy racket to my mum, and neither of them is interested in fantasy fiction. The sister who is into rock and fantasy now lives in london.

So, what is Macros banging on about this time?
simple, anyone who wants to join me in trying to stick (at least a bit) to their resolutions, join me here.
I'm setting myself a target for each week that I'd like to reach, and see if I can push past it, receiving a pat on the back when I do.

Likely seems silly to most, but I know for myself when someone congratulates you on reaching a target, it makes you want to reach more.

What I'd like to reach by next monday night -

Increase my monday night run to 10 laps (currently at 8, at most 3 consectutive ) with at least one unbroken run of 4
Learn a Basic song or melody on my Guitar
Make a decent attempt at hashing out a full chapter for the novel I've been toying with for the last few years.
I'd like to be in a no drink taken situation but it is singles depression night this weekend so thats unlikely.

[Aptorian]

My new years resolution was to get that damn fantasy/sci-fi story idea I've been toying with for the past couple of years, done by the time I'm 30. That's in 2½ years.

Yeah it sounds like a long time, but I'm still on the story/world building stage. Every time I think I have the storyline pegged down, I lose the plot.

The problem is that I invision the whole thing like a series, and what I've done is build an amazingly difficult, "Malazan Books" level of complexity into the world. Plots within plots. It's both character driven and story driven, each book standalone yet linked through several elaborate storythreads. Every time I think I have the start, I instead find out this would fit better as the second, third or even an undetermined book nr x. I'm beginning to think I understand how GotM came to have the cold start that it has.

And yes, I am well aware that one does not start out by writting the likes of the Malazan Books of the Fallen as their first book, but dammit, it's a hobby and a dream, and I am not interested getting a dozen short stories published, I've already a bunch of those, they are a part of the future and past events of the books.

My main problem currently, which I've been working around for half a year or so, is that I don't have a "threat/task" the first book can focus on. The protagonists are a group of mercenaries, and each story is about them either being hired or forced to solve increasingly insane missions. Problem is I can't find the reason to why they are first assembled. I simply can not find a valid solution. Frustrating as hell.

[Macros]

Well, er, your short term target is?

[Aptorian]

Getting the first book finished.

I have the start, I have the middle (sort of, seeing as it's kind of just a loose mess with out nothing to tie stuff together and drive events further than where I an) but there's nothing at the end. No mythical monsters, no quest for lost treasures, no gods to hunt down, no world that needs saving... baah!

Inspiration, my muse... where are you, you cold hearted bitch!?

[stone monkey]

Where you least expect to find her, of course. In bed with your best friend.

[frookenhauer]

Well...Kinda...what were they again and then I'll get back on track...

[Mezla PigDog]

I have stuck to mine, well and truely. It was "Meh, I'm great how I am", I'm going easy on myself. Going well so far

Not what you were after Macros? Well done on giving yours a good go though!

What basic song are you going to learn?

[RodeoRanch]

I decided to find another job. Just started sending out some feelers into the job market. Got a few prospects but we'll see. Things are getting tough in every sector so worse comes to worse, I can stick with my unpleasant job and still get paid until something pops ups.

That and drink heavily to dull my pain at how boring things are right now.

[Darkwatch]

@ Macros

If you're forced to run alone, then you might want to try the auto "I'm fucked, might as well keep going" tactic.
Used it myself this summer, basicly if you feel like you're going to cop out on your run, then take a route that forces you to keep going.
I accomplished this by making the first part of my bike round down hill (a very steep hill) that required me to bike back up should I want to get home. The thing is, that's inevitable, and so I pushed on the long more or so flat (there are a few inclines but nothing like the hill to get back) run for a while before getting to my appointed ascencion point.

[Mushroom]

Resolutions.

I didn't write any down. I do remember mentally thinking some up at the time.

I wanna get another job at around August.

Get Fit again. Be able to run my 8km in under 35mins again and then faster. 2 and a bit minutes of at the moment.

Meet more new people.


So far I am sticking to the thrid one. The last one will be easier once I get back to Uni.

[eekwibble]

Just need to get a job that pays well and I enjoy. Not much you would think but when the current economic crisis meets the king of procrastination there's not really a lot of chance.

Backing up to the second entry, Apt, did you say you've already had some short story work published or was I misreading that post?

This post has been edited by eekwibble: 10 February 2009 - 02:49 AM

[Binder of Demons]

Hey there Macros, good luck with the resolutions. I'm struggling badly with mine but have finally started getting back into the running. Our soccer season is about 5 weeks away, and i want to get some good miles in before pre-season. In fact I am going to go for a short run tonight now that you've put it in my head. I too need to lose the personal floatation device that is my belly, especially if i want to be that flying winger for one more season.

In terms of running though, I've found the best way to do it if you're likely to bail out, is to simply run (along a road or a walking track) for a set distance (or time), and then return back along the same route. It's surprising how much easier it is to continue when there is no shortcut. Even if you have to slow to a walk after a point, just keep going until you can pick up the pace again.
Are you doing laps of a football pitch or a running track out of curiosity?

The other thing I've found (i am trying to work up to doing this regularly), is that jogging in the morning really does set you up for the day. Especially in you're not going to be particularly active during the day.

My resolution of learning to play the guitar is also still eluding me. I really need to track down a decent teacher to get me started, so that i can then practice on my own, safe in the notion that I am at least vaguely doing it right.

Anyway, I shall join in this thread Macros, since there is some overlap in our resolutions.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Nice work, Macros.

I am proud to say I've taken a little step too-I am more motivated to excercise. People should take 10,000 steps a day, and my current jogging route takes care of about half. It's great.

[Tsundoku]

Aptorian, on Feb 10 2009, 08:37 AM, said:

My main problem currently, which I've been working around for half a year or so, is that I don't have a "threat/task" the first book can focus on. The protagonists are a group of mercenaries, and each story is about them either being hired or forced to solve increasingly insane missions. Problem is I can't find the reason to why they are first assembled. I simply can not find a valid solution. Frustrating as hell.

Ever tried the old "small job that snowballs" shtick? It could be because the situation spirals out of their control becuase of some terrible misunderstandings and other complications arising from their idiosyncrasies, or because all there other bigger players want in on the gig for some reason and the main guys spend half their time acting like Rohirrim in a crowd of Mumakil? Or maybe the job just wasn't that simple to start with - they were supposed to be the fall guys ...
They've been assembled perhaps in a "usual suspects" way that fits in with one of the ideas above, or maybe they were in a bar one night and there was this crazy old guy who may have been a mage in the corner who wouldn't leave them alone ... (seriously, if you could turn this famous old, OLD gaming cliche into something with a deeper cause or a new spin, it'd be worth it).

After that, they stick together because it's profitable and now they have a profile as a unit, a "job lot' as it were. Or Big Nasties are after them and they HAVE to stick together, like or loathe each other as they may. Or some might even lack the imagination to do something else, each will have their own reasons to stick together, once you get mission #1 out of the way.

Since your problem seems to stem largely from the "Maguffin" (as I believe it's called), maybe you could reverse-engineer it from what you have outlined for later? Ie be it a person, task, object, concept (overthrow/assassinate/liberate), and what would most motivate the characters as you see them collectively - what would appeal to them ALL in such a way as to throw a disparate group together and keep them together through all the shit you're going to put them through? Fear? Greed? Idealism? Love?

Meh, that's all I have on that now sorry.

My resolution: get more fit, and maybe put on some actual muscle tone. Not much, just enough to go from "skinny" to "lean".

Cheers,

La Sombra, more an "ideas man". Unfortunately those ideas usually get me slapped.

This post has been edited by Sombra: 10 February 2009 - 11:22 AM

[Use Of Weapons]

I'm managing to keep all of mine so far!

1. Write a novel (20,000 words in, maps, characters -- going well)
2. Learn how to swim (4th lesson this weekend)
3. Get piano lessons (on a waiting list)
4. Get singing lessons (no progress)
5. Do more concerts with my chorus (have signed up to all upcoming concerts, including full Proms season)
6. Pass driving test (will have to wait until summer)
7. Start greco-roman wrestling (have found a club, need to actually go along)
8. Restart jujitsu after my year off (will start in August)

So am pretty happy with my progress, really.

[beru]

dont EVER wrestle in the roman way... no rules and you have gloves with metal spikes... the greek way is better...

[Sir Thursday]

Well, my major resolution was to get up at more reasonable times this year...I've been slipping recently .


Sir Thursday

[Macros]

My running is round a track, standard 400 metres track (giving an indication to just how unfit I am )
Regarding the song for my guitar, I'll be googling for a nice easy one for this week, intending to make a start at that tonight along with some writing.
Jit seems to be doing extremely well, and the 20,000 words progress makes me insanely jealous and determined to get going properly

[Binder of Demons]

hey there Macros, I asked in the music section for suggestions for decent songs to learn to play on the guitar.
The thread is here
http://www.malazanempire.com/IPBforum/inde...showtopic=13990


As for the running. I find it harder to do track running for some reason? It's just so monotonous. But it does allow you to standardise your runs much easier and track progress. Good luck with it.
My exercise for tomorrow is a bit of Hurling with some friends. Can be a decent workout as we're all so rubbish there's plenty of chasing after the sliotar. Good fun though. We do get strange looks from passers by though. Not much hurling here in new Zealand!

[Adjutant Stormy~]

Well, I'm proud of all you guys who can stand to exercise regularly. You're stronger than I.

I tend to make the same resolutions every year and break them incessantly. You know, get fit, learn an instrument, do something cool (like skydive). Never happens.

Now THIS year, I think I decided to set myself unreasonable goals, with the complete expectation of never succeeding.
1) Get the girl
2) Write my book
3) Lose the fat

And strangely all of these are happening...
1 and 2 I actually put effort into (dating for a week, and 5 pages in respectively).

But 3 is totally accidental. I've just not had time to eat!! I get in like, one meal a day, maaaybe.

Anorexia: Because diets are for chumps.