Monday, May 2, 2011

How to Fix Your Sex Life: AZ Challenge Reflections


I'm so blessed to have found the AZ Challenge through my bloggy-buddy Rayna at Coffee Rings Everywhere. This challenge, as I told you in my A ~ A New Beginning post, came at a pivotal point in my writing. And as I promised in my V ~ Very post, I'll now give you the full scoop of why participating in this challenge was, for me at least, like trying to fix your sex life.

Ah, I see I have your attention!  As my dear, faithful readers know, I'm a walking, talking, medical worst-case scenario. If health insurance was priced like car insurance, I'd be paying the just-got-out-of-juvie-drive-a-red-sports car-not-so-spectacular-grades-but-would-you-please-insure-me-anyway rate. I go to a lot of doctor's appointments. (Just try my nifty search gadget in the side-bar and type “doctor” to get more stories.)

So I'm in a waiting room, forgot my book, and am therefore paging through, oh, probably Family Circle or Good Housekeeping or some other such magazine. In this issue, the regular marriage counseling  article is about long-married couples trying to recapture the spark in their sex life. There were three case studies. Yes, you get to hear them all because strangely enough, I think that each of these solutions can be applied to struggling writers. 

One couple decided that they'd take turns initiating sex. To writers, this translates as, “You give me a prompt, we'll both write something. Then next time, I'll give the prompt, and again, we both have to participate.” You still with me?

Another couple decided that they would only make-out. For a week. Then they'd see what happened after that week of, ahem, restraint. Writers: If I start to feel the beginning of a slowly smoldering fire,  I'll have to wait to write.  Until next week.  Anticipation makes everything sweeter.  No fair scribbling notes on napkins or jotting down ideas in your notes app. You have to WAIT to write.  Waiting makes the want grow fonder.

The last couple solved their, um, issues, with the equivalent of the AZ Challenge. Sex every 24 hours, come hell or high water or up the creek without a paddle. Once. Every 24 hours. If some unforeseen complication prevented this, then they had to do it twice in another 24 hour period. I probably don't need to translate this one...because...

That last scenario is what happened to me in this challenge. I hadn't foreseen it, but like what I read in the article, knowing that I had to put SOMETHING up every day just kinda freed my brain and my inhibitions. I was thinking, “Well OK, it just has to be something. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be long.” Some days all I managed was just a quick couple of observations, but then on other days, I was in the mood for a longer story. Some days I wrote about something I'd already written about. One day, I had no time time to write at all. To complete the challenge, I wrote two posts on the last day. I'll leave the translation from writing to sex up to you on this one :-)

Big thanks to my 27 new followers. I am honored. Also thanks to all who stopped by and left their footprints. My intent was to visit all of you in return, but if I missed you, please let me know. I really do want to meet you. As for the flip-side, I'm now following 23 more blogs, and I'm looking forward to continuing to build more inspiring bloggy relationships. I had a blast doing this, and hope our faithful and seemingly tireless hosts are willing to do it again. I knew I couldn't homeschool, write a post each day, and get to each of the 1282 bloggers participating during this event. It's like Santa.  Not really realistic.  But as long as the linky is alive, I will keep going until I hit 1282. I'm just too damn stubborn, not to mention competitive, to back down now.

This post was prompted by our challenge sponsors.  They asked all of us  to reflect on this month of writing, and then link up back at Tossing It Out, our host blog.  AND, last but not least...I got the groovy badge over there in the sidebar for completing the challenge.  Go me!  (I'm such a dork...)


P.S  My html prowess continues to grow...check me out!  I successfully got the linky on MY blog, so no need to link up at Tossing It Out.  You can link right here!  Wow.  Feeling really smart right now.  (Yeah, I know, copy/paste has been around a long time...but whenever I get some new widgie thingie to work, I celebrate!)

15 comments:

Amanda Lee said...

Tina, you crack me up! Love how you applied sex life advice to your writing :) Hmmmm, I wonder if a couple's writing workshop could spark some flames...?

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Once every 24 hours no matter what? I can do that!
Glad you had a good time and found new blogging buddies.

Brian Miller said...

well i missed the AZ but maybe i can take up this other challenge...

H said...

Cool badge! (Maybe I should have taken part after all :p)

Luanne G. Smith said...

Congrats on getting through the challenge. And, um, I like the analogy. :)

Unknown said...

Well, that's quite the comparison... LOL. Great write here, stop in & read The Challenge Never Ends

Shannon Lawrence said...

Congratulations on making it through. Love the comparison between writing and improving one's sex life. Like you, I am too stubborn to give up before making it through the A to Z list, so that's how I found you.

Anonymous said...

Congrats! on finishing the A to Z Event. I missed stopping by during the event. Its good to meet you now. I'm already looking forward to next year. Have a great week.

Paula Martin said...

I'm still trying to catch up with visiting other A-Z blogs - and I'm glad I've found yours' Love your comparison - LOL!

Cheryl said...

So glad you've got your groove back, Stella. I've been struggling for months. It just got easier not to post at all. Trying to make my way back. I may give one of these tips a shot.

Mercy said...

Hehehee very clever!! Great reflections post, probably the best I have read so far.

Thanks for stopping by Mercy's World. I think its a great idea, visiting every participant at least once. Id love to join in.

Once everything here settles I will be making a point of doing it. Thanks!!

Life@Cee said...

When I used your new search linky trying to find this post I got 8 hits on "sex life" LOL. Very entertaining view on the writing process. I hope your writing urgency continues to be strong.

William said...

Interesting, I love it. I wonder if I should sign up for this challenge?

Shay said...

I love it! I think we should do an A-Z Challenge one day where they throw a word at us like "elephant" or "laser Beam" and we have to write about how it is somehow linked to sex.

I have to go cry in a corner now, rocking and sucking my thumb as I just learned from this post that Santa wasn't real. I am even considering changing my "S" post to this after I conduct a full investigation.

Marianne (Mare) Baker Ball said...

Very cool. Just now popping in from A-Z. I love this post...so funny, and insightful. I'm enjoying the A-Z so much, but suffering from eye strain and sore buttness. If you've not yet visited my Ballpark, stop by. Thanks for your time and commitment to the Challenge!