Yes, I’ve been quiet for the passed week. I’ve been working on research and writing that I plan to share with all of you just as soon as I get it finished; and no, it’s not of the stories that I have been working on, unfortunately.
Since setting myself goals for the month of August, I’ve decided to take another look at blogging and how I can help to make a change for the better. One of my goals being ‘better quality posts’, I have been doing a bit of research before writing from experience and the little that I had read on the subject that I’ve been writing about.
Writing is still happening behind the scenes; in research, notes, short stories, and ideas. I’ve taken enough notes and done enough research (I hope) to work out a few articles. I will post them as soon as they’re complete.
I’ve also been working on my juggling. I’m still at three tennis balls, but I’m able to juggle four with limited ability. The tricks available to three-ball jugglers are quite something.
Once I figured out the Reverse Cascade, I was able to get the hang of ‘over the top’ throws well enough to work on Tennis (also referred to as ‘Fake Tennis’) and Real Tennis. The over the top throwing also opened up a new view at juggling and brought on the interest of attempting other tricks. The Half Shower is such a trick that requires an over the top throw in order to figure out; and the Shower, too.
The Yo-Yo and the Oy-Oy, along with the Machine, I haven’t really practiced much. I’ve been working on linking the tricks together, juggling two balls in one hand in both directions, and picking combinations that work well with one another. The Machine is still a bit out of my range at the moment, but I will slip back to practice it every now and again.
A technique known as ‘Claws’ – to grab the tennis balls with an over-hand catch – is also something in progress. I’ve managed to learn it more successfully with my right hand, while my left hand wants to play lazy and occasionally drop the ball.
I have accidentally done the Shower and the Windmill a couple of times, but have not yet figured out how to do them on purpose. I’m practicing and working on getting them, though. Juggling really helps when I feel that my writing just isn’t at its best.
When I feel cramped and need some room to explore my thoughts, I’ll take to juggling for a while. I’ll run through a combination of tricks that I know how to do. Then, I’ll attempt a trick that I’m still learning before I go back through a combination of tricks. After that, I’ll sit down for a breather to see what I can get written and what more I need to work on.
I’ve found that having the activity available as a way to vent when I just can’t seem to get the words to flow usually helps quite a bit. Maybe it’s the flow of blood rushing through my body, able to make it to my brain. Perhaps it’s simply the action of itself that gets everything working, again. It could be a mixture of the two or something altogether different. That’s a problem I haven’t begun working on too deeply yet; perhaps another time.
If you’re interested in watching the tricks that I named above to see how they look when performed, visit JugglingJoe1026 on YouTube: 3 Ball Tricks Encyclopedia.
C. A. Husted 
Cool! Juggling looks to be pretty hard. I think it actually would help writing. I think it would give your brain a rest, time to breathe. I think you mentioned that. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You know what helps me? Washing dishes and scrubbing. For some reason, I get lots of great of ideas that way. Just keep writing and don’t worry about it being exactly what you want the first time you write it. :-)
Since I was a youngster, I’ve associated washing dishes with stress and anger; I’ll stick to juggling, since washing dishes doesn’t much help me in the way of calming. — Juggling, as with anything else, is only as difficult as the person attempting it makes it out to be.
Inner proofreader and editor always have something to say about what I write and how I write. Always. It’s like they never sleep; or, maybe, they sleep when I do, which doesn’t help me much.
Maybe you send those guys on vacation, the inner proofreader and editor. Maybe you need a break from them. Dishes and anger….that sounds interesting. You see, I’m writing a story, and it’s a little slow going. I could write something else, or I could just push it out. I’m just going to try to get it out. Good luck.
Of course. Slow and steady is usually the best way to keep focused and get the job done correctly.
Your back! Hurrah. Okay, so I know you are not keen on too much enthusiasm so I will cut it out immediately. The juggling sounds so difficult. I have tried the two-balls thing you suggested in your comments. I am just not coordinated enough. Spatial awareness is also a problem.
It makes sense that juggling helps your writing as I believe you are using a different part of your brain for these actions/reactions.
As for the inner critic and editor. They will always be there, you just have to learn to tune them out where possible.
By all means, be happy. — Practice makes it possible. If I’m not mistaken, it’s the right side of the brain that is the creative side, leaving the left to be the critical.
I’ve learned to deal with them a little better than other writers, I think. Creative writing is what it is whether or not someone’s explaining how it should be done.
It’s good to read your posts again. But by all means, achieve your goals. You’ll have more to write about.
Well, thank you. My apologies, I didn’t realize that I was being missed; I’ve grown used to being out-of-sight-out-of-mind.
Writing is definitely something that has been with me through thick and thin, before good friends arrived, and surely long after some (or most) will venture off to view other parts of the world. I’ve never been too good at giving updates. Like this time, I even forgot to mention that I updated the Random Roll to include blogs that I find interesting, and added a few more to the list that I had.
I, for one, didn’t miss you one bit. I just accidentally clicked on your blog and said screw it, while I’m here I might as well take a look. But seriously, juggling is good clean fun and it can make a toddler quit crying in most cases. But if they don’t stop, you can always throw what you’re juggling at them. I’m kidding, of course. Maybe. Anyway, in your first sentence, I believe it’s ‘past’, not ‘passed’, but I could be wrong. It happened once a long, long, LONG time ago. ;)
Hah! Good to know you didn’t miss me! (I know better than that.) I have actually been juggling for my daughter, and she also has her own set of juggling balls to be like her daddy. I’ve been teaching her recently to catch, so one day she’ll be just as good as me.
The week passed by. Now that point in time is in the past.
According to technicalities, the adverb ‘past’ would likely be better suited, but I believe in using words that don’t confuse as much, since the week passed by me. (Passed and past can be used interchangeably, it seems.)
I don’t think it looks right, but it’s your blog ;)