Running is Like Writing

with guest Sally Shupe.

Traveling this road to publication, I’ve made some observations regarding the similarities between running and writing, both of which I love. Turns out, they are alike. 

My word for 2017 is expectation. What this means to me is working toward something even as I am waiting for something to happen. I am actively looking forward, anticipating, what will happen when I run and when I write.

Whether you’re expecting a baby, company to visit, winning a race, or becoming published, you don’t sit and wait. No. You work toward something, even as you expect it to happen. You plan and arrange the baby room, clean house, run, write, write, write! If you’re running a race, you don’t just one day decide I’ll go run a 5k. You could, but I wouldn’t recommend it. 

You to train, practice, regularly run to finish the race. If you don’t put in the time, you can’t compete with other runners. If you don’t put in the writing time, you can’t compete when you do get a contract. There are deadlines. You must finish manuscripts. You plan. You don’t wait until the baby gets here to put together the nursery. Before he or she comes, you read books, read reviews on baby things, prepare the baby room. When you know company’s coming for dinner, you clean house, hide the laundry (don’t you?), prepare what you think they’ll like to eat and drink.

 It’s the same with writing: you research agents and publishing houses, read submission guidelines, talk with other authors. If you submit your work without checking these things, it’s a sure way to get rejected. If you want to read 300 books in a year, you can’t do that in a day. You plan ahead. How many books do I need to read a week to reach this goal? How many words do I need to write a week to reach my goal? How far, or how long, do I need to run?

If you expect to win a race, you have to run. If you expect to be published, you have to write. Don't spend your time watching other people.  

When I started running, I had to get the right equipment. Shoes, clothes, a watch. You definitely don’t want to run for longer, or farther, than you intended . Starting out, I alternated walking and running until I could run for 20 minutes. Then I worked my way up to 3 miles. The most I’ve run so far is a 7.4 mile race. My goal next year is to run a half marathon. One of the perks of running is when the second wind hits, I feel like I can run forever. 

For writing, I start with an idea for a story. Writing down snippets of dialogue, a scene, characters. My equipment is my computer or pen and paper, research documents, craft books. As with running, when I first start to write, I may only go short distances. Then I start flagging, breathing hard, the sagging middle hits. Desperate thoughts enter. Can I finish the story? Why did I even start? Feelings of aloneness creep in. Then I see glimpses of the finish line. That’s where this story is going. The second wind hits. In running, that’s when the steps come faster. A breeze rushes through my hair. I see the finish line. Breathing evens out. My focus is on finishing. I cross the finish line. Supporters, cheerers, all wait with high-fives.

Where were the supports along the journey? Whether running or writing, they’re the ones you come across in your journey and talk to. They have advice on running or writing. They cheer you on, celebrate all those little wins, counting down with you to the big win. And once you’re published? It’s time to look toward the next book, and then the next one. 

What have I learned on this journey? 

-Prayer changes things. It changes your thoughts, gives you insight, orchestrates that meeting you never could have arranged on your own. 

-Don’t get distracted by others who write faster or slower; get published; write more, or less, words than you do. Only you write like you do. Only you run like you do. Only you can write your words. If you spend your time watching other people, you won’t write. You’ll be discouraged. 

-If you don’t put in the work, read craft books, get feedback, you won’t reach your goal of publication. If you just write words with no focus, they won’t go anywhere. Same with running. You might cross the line, but it won’t be pretty. 

-Watch your pace. Just as you can’t run 26 miles in an hour, you can’t write a book in an hour. Space it out. Break it down. And breathe. 

-Watch what you’re putting in. If you eat a lot of fast food, you can’t run. Read what you write to see what’s out there, what works, what doesn’t. Research what agents and publishers are looking for. 

-If you get tired of running, change your course. Run somewhere different. Same with writing. Write something different. Write something for fun, take a break. Brainstorm. 

-Surround yourself with people like you, whether runners, writers, authors, agents. You need people who know the business, who understand what you’re doing and why. Tell them about your journey. If you feel alone, you won’t continue. When it’s cold and rainy, you don’t feel like running. Having that support system in place, gets you running. Same with writing. If someone is expecting your word count for the day, it’s harder to say I didn’t take time to write today. But if you can’t run for a while, or can’t write for a period of time, don’t beat yourself up over it. Take it day by day. The words will still be there. And I’ve had things happen that’s helped my writing that wasn’t in place if I’d continued forcing myself to write. I’ve also found when I can’t run for a few weeks, once I can get back out there, I can still go 20 minutes. I can still run for 2 miles. I just pick it back up and continue on. 

-When you finish the race, the book, it’s time to re-evaluate. Take time to see what worked, what didn’t, and start training for the next race or book. Evaluate how well you did, what, if anything, you need to change or approach differently. Can’t live on pizza for two weeks? Prepare meals ahead of time to clear time for writing. 

-Give yourself grace. I had to learn this one recently. After excessive water damage to our home, I haven’t been able to run or write. We’re still in the process of getting the house back together. But, I am looking forward to getting back to it. I’m outlining what I’ll be working on, planning when I can go running again. During this time, I jotted down ideas and dialogue for the story I’m working on. I even jogged through the house a few times. 

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18 Do you have a vision? Work out a plan to make that come to pass. Remember, God is able to do exceeding, abundantly more than we could ask or imagine.

 How about you? What do you do to energize your running, writing, or reading? When you hit a bump in the road, how do you get around it?

Seekerville is giving away this reader, writer or runner calendar to one commenter in honor of Sally's visit. Leave a comment letting us know you want to be entered for The Illustrated Bible Verses Wall Calendar 2018. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

Sally Shupe lives in southwest Virginia with her husband, two grown kids-a daughter still at home and a son nearby, and a whole bunch of pets: five dogs, three cats, a rabbit, and birds at the birdfeeder (and the mandatory snowman when the snow cooperates). She writes contemporary Christian romance, with two completed manuscripts and three more in progress. They are part of a series located in small town Virginia. 

When Sally’s not writing or working full-time, she is a freelance editor for several authors who write fiction and nonfiction; students working on dissertation papers; a copy editor for Desert Breeze; a content editor for Prism (just became part of Pelican); performs beta reading for various authors; publishes book reviews on her blog and with Valley Business FRONT’s monthly magazine; is a member of ACFW and just recently became a PRO member of RWA; loves genealogy, running, and crocheting.

Sally uses her love of words to write about God’s amazing love.

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