Just yesterday, my friend Zane Voss over atSteel City Writer talked about the importance of getting outside. He also talked about the lack of good days in Pittsburgh to do so. Yeah, it’s a Thing.
Fortunately, right now we’re either in Fool’s Spring or the Spring of Deception. It can be hard to distinguish (hence the whole “Deceptions” thing). Wherever we are in the Twelve Seasons, though, we’ve been gifted with a nice bit of nice weather before returning to the Vast Grey Suck.
And when I have some nice weather, I use it to go walking.
I started walking for my physical and mental health, oh, seven years ago. About the same time that I quit using nicotine. (See the folks over at KillTheCan.org if you need help with that, by the way.) In any case, I started walking because it was a way to burn off energy, frustration, and ensure that I was nowhere near someplace I could buy my favorite flavor of death in a can.
What started as a way to deal with my quit frustrations evolved into a joy of all of its own. Getting out and exploring the city of Pittsburgh was incredibly therapeutic for me. I’ve heard people say that man was meant to move, and honestly? My walks seem to prove that. Getting out and taking the time to just move has so many benefits for me.
Physical health is the obvious one. Not so obvious is mental health. Having a time to disconnect and let my mind wander has turned out to be good both for the Day Job, and for my writing. Do you know what really helps spark imagination? Seeing new things and giving your mind permission to wonder about them!
Somewhere along the way, I started taking pictures of my walks. I’ve got… man. Over 40 thousand pictures up on Flickr now, and there’s a huge chunk that I still haven’t uploaded from the past year. I did some stats, once, and it turns out there was a point where I was averaging about 1 pictures every five minutes on my walks.
That’s a lot of pictures. I’m including a couple of them here. Maybe you’re thinking, “Sam, that’s great, but how much has it really impacted your writing? It’s cool and all, but can you quantify it?”
Yep. My entire writing career, to this point, is a result of the inspiration I’ve received while walking. The first story I ever submitted and had accepted was written in a world I dreamed up based on graffiti I saw while walking in Pittsburgh. That world now has two back stories; 130k words of as-yet-unpublished novel; two potential sequels and a prequel or three planned out. There’s another world that has a novella, a rough draft of a novel, and a couple of stories percolating, just waiting for the right open call.
I’d say that’s pretty impactful.
All of which is to say: whether you’re an aspiring writer, or not - walking’s worth it. Take a break, get out and take a look at what’s around you. You won’t be disappointed.
The Business of Writing
A mid-week update on my three major commitments: to write, to edit, and to read.
I had The Crud this past week and weekend. Did not get nearly as much done as I wanted, unfortunately. I’m plugging along on the weird west story, though, and I’m happy with where it’s going.
Late last week I got the news that I took second place in the Cannon Publishing High Caliber Awards with my novella, “Blue as Sky, Black as Sin”. To say that I was pleased is… understating things a bit. Quite a bit. I am absolutely stoked about this, and about working with Cannon. An anthology collecting the winners should be out soon, and I’m looking forward to reading all the stories that made it to the final round in the contest.
Reading-wise, I finished San Diego Lightfoot Sue by Tom Reamy. This week I’m going to move on to The Witch of the Monongahela: Folk Magic in Early Western Pennsylvania.
Other Stuff
The giveaway for One October Night has ended! Three lucky winners will be receiving a copy. If you’re not one of them, don’t despair! You can get your own copy (digital or trade paperback) from Amazon.
The Crud has prevented most everything else this past week or so. It’s hard to function in polite society when politeness dictates that you separate yourself from society. I’m going to have to hit the ground running for my re-entry, though. At church, we’re starting up a class on Biblical finances that I’ll be leading with the help of my niece’s fiancé. I’m also going to be talking to one of our pastors about expanding our men’s program in conjunction with some of the work we’re doing at the pregnancy center - the focus there will be on providing material and spiritual support for single fathers. Oh, and there’s a ladies’ tea and a baby shower to go to this weekend, as well. Yes, I’m invited to both. I’m special like that :)
See you next Wednesday. Enjoy your week, and stay away from The Crud!
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Congratulations on second place in the High Caliber Award. Thank you for sharing your pictures, and the topic was excellent.
I greatly enjoy all the pictures you post from your walks. Pittsburgh's such an interesting city and I love seeing all the cool things you find!