REALLY Manic Monday

It's 3:AM* and I'm just churning out my blog post. Wheeee!!

*Posting at 4:AM - sorry for not pinging you Julie!

Anyway…

Buncha stuff.

I was planning a review of the Wii Fit Plus, especially after the warm reception to my letter to the Wii Fit Plus developers on behalf of writers.

So much is going on, here's the short version.

4 weeks = lost almost four pounds. A good rate of weight loss.

Exercised using the Wii 24 of the 30 days I've been using it - not including days I've played with horses, spent over an hour stacking wood, went hiking, or played extensively on Wii Sports Resort. Results: Much more regular exercise than previous to using Wii Fit Plus.

In general, the adorable anthropomorphic Wii Balance Board character is both supportive enough and aggravating enough to make me want to return - even if it's to cuss it out. "Yeah, I do happen to trip over my feet a lot! F*ck off about it, will ya?! No, balance is NOT my friggen cup of tea. Earl Grey is… or Rooibos… or Lotus Green. Bite me. See ya' tomorrow!"

The games do make you want to exercise, too. They are short - few last more than 3 minutes - so you can see how much better you are getting (or how sh*tty a day you are having) pretty quickly. Also, you pick how strenuous you want to be and what you want to work on. While I know I can't handle some of the strength or yoga exercises yet, there's still a good 30+ different things I CAN do and not be bored (or feel like a disgusting fat-monster).

The downside to the many short exercises is the fact that your 30 minute daily workout averages about 45 minutes of time or more - especially if you include the Body Test. Make sure you set aside about an hour to commit. Also, it guilt trips you when you go on vacation. Adorable Anthropomorphic Wii Balance Board: "Is that Trish? I haven't seen you for days! I hope you are well." Trish: "Yeah, yeah… I was at a friggen convention. Deal. My husband does - and he doesn't pout at me."

Next month: Will Trish have maintained her exercise schedule and lost more weight? Stay tuned.

xx

Still on a writer's high for finishing edits on A Silent Starsong!!! I've put off the final edits on this one for… about 2 years, really. I love this story, and so does everyone who's read it… Husband-of-Awesome and Del have been pushing me constantly to send it out. But I am a perfectionist… and it's terrifying when you feel so strongly about something. Anyway, looking over my query again and sending Kyra out into the cold, cruel world of publishing.

Do I dare send it to my top-most agents? I've been stalking them long enough to know it fits what they like: voice, story, style etc. It's even a reasonable word-count for its genre (mid-grade/YA) at just over 50k. I read at least three different authors that each of these desired agents represents… no, I FAN <3 at least three different authors that each of these agents represents. (I found out about said agents because I also "stalk" these authors.)

Aaah - the anxiety!!!!

Wish me luck!!!!

xx

The reason this post is at 3AM is because I traded guest-blog spots with my sales colleague, Rick Roberge. J You'll see some guestwork from him here on Wednesday, and I'll let you know when my post (or posts, because my 1000-word averages are… a bit long for his blog) runs on his page.

xx

I won another award!

It reads more like an Interwebz Meme, but I was rather happy with it. Thank you very much, The Pirate's Bounty!

Kreativ Blogger award: tell 7 secrets and tag 7 people.1. I try to eat healthy, but love food so much that portion control becomes an issue.2. I have a bad habit of falling into leadership positions, doing well at them, and then complaining I have no time to fulfill them.3. Part of my procrastination process comes from pride that I can get something done - and done well - no matter the odds.

4. I occasionally fail due to procrastination, but not enough and not badly enough to prevent the practice.
5. I am still a sucker for fun pop songs.6. I am becoming disenchanted with Massachusetts as a state.7. I wanted to be a lawyer when I was about 12 or 13 - till I realized I might have to defend people who were bad.Now to pass it along:

TokyoWriter
Kelly A. Harmon
GirlWriters
the voices in my head
In Common with Humans
Obligated to Exaggerate
The Teresa Jusino Experience

J I don't actually know the criteria for this award, so my criteria: not-already-really-famous people who's blogs I enjoy on a regular basis - or who I will visit when they remind me they've updated.

Or: People with blogs who deserve more positive attention.

Oh, and if you don't respond to the Meme, that's fine… I am happy for an excuse to tout your blogs. ;)

Congrat's y'all because I think you are fabulous!

Happy Week!

Following New Year's Resolution of Fitness

Dear Wii Fit Plus ® Developers,

As a writer and the proud owner of a Wii Fit Plus ® system, I commend you on the ingenious game you have created that helps writers all over the world get in shape. It’s fun, it’s easy, and it appeals to our inner competitors. However, in creating the mental challenges, you have sorely neglected to help exercise the language sections of our brains, leaving us unbalanced. Fortunately, I have some ideas to help achieve a more perfect balance in mental and physical fitness.

Currently, the Wii Fit Plus incorporates basic math that players must complete through physical activity. For example, in the “Training Plus” section, a player must hip-check mushrooms to add (or subtract) until a particular number is reached. Also, in the Body Test, a player must shift weight or move based on displayed numerical values for one test, and in another, be able to order numbers. These are excellent exercises, and ones most writers, like myself, need. (Many of us beg spouses or hire accountants for such activities. Matching these tasks with physical activity pairs two things we often must be forced to do, anyway.)

While the math may be more difficult for the language-minded, however, it short changes the already mathematical-minded who can do such problems in their sleep (as easily as a writer can correct a comma splice.) Additionally, it doesn’t offer the same comfort zone to writers, editors, and other word-workers. Having tasks players know and regularly do mixed in with exercises and problems we don’t promotes a true balance of the mind and body. Adding language-based challenges will surely enhance your newest Plus ® edition of Wii Fit. Not only will you appeal to existing fans of the game who want new challenges, but you will bring in even more of the weight-and-balance-challenged demographic who write, edit, or otherwise type and correct words on the computer for a living.

Therefore, here are some new games I offer for your consideration. Using the mushroom hip-check template, ask players to choose the correct punctuation to include in a displayed, unpunctuated sentence. In advanced levels, players can pick out the correct pronoun usage or translate text-speak/chatspeak to the written language. For the Body Test section, in addition to having players choose numbers on their value (while attempting balance while redistributing weight and not getting knocked over by their cats), have them choose words based on parts of speech: nouns, verbs, prepositions, and so on. Using the squat-and-squish template that the game uses for testing value (greater than/less than), have players destroy the misspelled words. Advanced levels of this game can have players destroy verbs that do not agree with nouns, or non-parallel construction in lists.

Since Wii Fit Plus ® is available globally, you will want your translators to hire proper copyeditors to help develop these games in their respective languages, but the value of enhancing the game will make up for any extra cost in development. Blogs and websites across the world offer tips and programs to this demographic constantly, so there is obvious demand. In fact, if you need a consultant for American English, A Novel Friend can open up some calendar space for this project. As a fan of the game, I would be happy to return the favor of achieving balance and fitness in mind and body. Please contact me at your earliest convenience for an estimate.

I look forward to helping make the next edition of Wii Fit Plus ® even better!

Best,

Trish Wooldridge
A Novel Friend Writing & Editing