How to get a Blackbelt in Writing - Part 17 - Body Awareness

  The last week or so has been tiring - especially for an introvert. A people-y writers conference (great, but tiring), christmas parties etc. So at one point I had to just stop and listen to my body and say 'Nope, staying home today.' 
In martial arts, learning to control and listen to your body, then adapt your skills to suit is crucial. A dojo might teach a technique the same way to everyone, but that doesn't mean it will work for you the way it works for the guy next to you. Trying to do it exactly the same will, in fact, lead to frustration and poor skills.
     Every person is unique in the way they move, the way their body works (or doesn't), their speed, muscularity, flexibility etc. My husband has extremely inflexible joints but mine are hyper-flexible. Our actions to perform techniques are different to compensate.  Things that work easily on him have no effect on me, and visa versa.
     You may have physical limitations that mean the technique needs to be modified to suit your body. Perhaps your knees are dodgy, or you have shoulder injuries. If doing a technique in a certain way physically hurts you (beyond just a twinge), then STOP and find a new way to achieve the result you want without damaging your body.
     Ignoring a small amount of pain is good as it teaches you to push through inconvenience to achieve your goal. Ignoring extreme pain is stupid and will result in permanent damage.
Don't let pain and discomfort or limitations hold you back. Just learn to listen to your body and adapt. One of the best martial artists in my dojo had only one arm. 
     In writing, you'll get handed a lot of 'writing rules'. Show don't Tell. Don't use Filter words. Don't start with a dream sequence. Your Inciting Incident MUST be at 12%. Use only 'said' and 'asked' as dialogue tags. etc etc.
     And many of those (and other) bits of advice are helpful and will improve your writing if you're an emerging author - even if having them pointed out in your writing is painful and distressing. Ignore that pain. It's minor and important to push through. Definitely don't write off your editor and arrogantly dismiss their suggestions for improvement. That would be like ignoring your multi-blackbelt sensei.
BUT...
     Think of the 'rules' as the martial arts techniques. Once you understand them, THEN you have to listen to your own body and mind. Listen to your gut and do what serves your story best. Sometimes Telling is the best way to get from one scene to the next without tediously showing  a long trip across boring deserts. Use a 'wrong way to do it' IF it is vital to the story and with the awareness that it might not work and you might have to experiment with something else.
     And - even more importantly - listen to your body when READING. If you want to learn how to build tension in a story, read a thriller and take note of when you feel the tension twist in your stomach. Then stop and re-read the passage to see how the writer did that. If you find yourself crying, stop and re-read to see why you got so emotional.
     Paying attention to your body's reactions when you read will help you become a better writer. And once you understand the 'rules' you'll be able to modify the techniques to suit your story and be deliberate about how you guide your readers' emotions.

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