5 Ways You Can Make Your Lifestyle Perfect

Yes, you can make your lifestyle perfect. First, you have to decide on what an ideal lifestyle means to you. How you want to live depends on your goals. Almost every day we meet people who are doing better than ourselves, and when we compare ourselves to them, we focus on the bigger picture. The …

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Cookery Book Review: Around the World with ‘Lavender and Lovage Culinary Notebook’

Bajan Breakfast Banana Bread, Smoky Mexican Bean Soup, Ah Yeung’s Sweet and Sour Fish, Tian Provencal, Cypriot Pastitsio, Alabama Peach Crisp, Nanny’s Fresh Orange Layer Cake … the list of delicious recipes from home and abroad sets my taste buds tingling. I’m enveloped in the foodie delights of Lavender and...

The post Cookery Book Review: Around the World with ‘Lavender and Lovage Culinary Notebook’ appeared first on The Quirky Traveller Blog.

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How to Actually Focus on Writing: The Dangers of Pseudo-Working

I first heard the term “pseudo-working” from Cal Newport, author of How to Become a Straight A Student and Deep Work. Pseudo-working looks like work, but it doesn’t produce much. If you’ve ever been trying to focus on writing an article while checking your phone for social media updates and fielding dinner requests, you’re pseudo-working. (No, I’m not doing that right now, why do you ask?)

3 Dangers of Pseudo-Working

Admitting the dangers of pseudo-working has helped me focus and get more writing done in less time. See if it will help you too!

Danger 1: You think you are working

When I used to juggle multiple tasks at once, I’d tell myself I was multitasking. It was a lie. I was switching from one task to another and forcing my brain to work twice as hard to shift, reorient, engage, and repeat.

Pseudo-working looks like work, but it doesn’t produce much at the end of the day because I’ve expended most of my energy in the act of switching tasks.

Danger 2: You think you have a time problem

You don’t have a time problem if you are pseudo-working. You have a distraction problem. By framing it as a time problem, you’re giving yourself an out.

“But I spent two and a half hours looking for a name for my character!” No, Mavis, you spent a total of twelve minutes searching for a name in between two hours of social media, a phone call to your mum, and fourteen text messages.

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You don’t have a time problem when it comes to writing. You have a focus problem. Cut out distractions and focus on writing, even if you have just a few minutes to write.

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Danger 3: You believe your own lie

I had a class last year who asked me to make them a sign for our classroom with my oft quoted phrase, “Don’t believe the lie …” I was specifically referring to procrastination, but it is the same lie we tell ourselves when we pseudo-work. “I’m doing well on this. I just need to check __{insert distraction}__ real quick.”

I don’t need to check anything as much as I need to finish my writing during the time I have scheduled. (Unless of course someone has an emergency, but checking Twitter is not an emergency no matter what my students say.)

I’m speaking to myself here: stop believing the lie. Focus on writing or don’t, but stop getting caught in the pseudo-working cycle.

Break the Cycle and Focus on Writing

Okay, so pseudo-working doesn’t work. But how do you break the cycle and actually focus on writing? Here are two strategies I use.

Get Honest

If you’re ready to stop pseudo-working, first, evaluate your work habits. As I evaluated my own habits, I had to get honest about how many times I switched screens or glanced at my phone while I wrote.

If you have a phone that tracks “screen time” it can show you total times you picked it up, the total time on various sites, and all sorts of information that will make you realize how dependent you are on your phone. (Well, maybe that’s just me.)

I had to admit to myself that each time I “checked” something, I lost time and momentum.

Get Single-Minded

If you’ve realized that you pseudo-work often, set a small goal for yourself and get focused. Set aside fifteen to forty-five minutes and focus on writing solely that single project. Put your phone in another room, shut off the wifi and block your access to distracting sites, and write until the time is up or your goal is met.

Track your progress and see what produces the most work. You may find it’s more effective to schedule short focused bursts that eliminate distractions than to plan long extended periods where you’re interrupted often.

Your Writing Is Worth the Focus

It isn’t easy to conquer the temptation to pseudo-work. With practice though, we can overcome distractions and get more writing done in the year ahead!

How often do you pseudo-work? What tricks do you use to focus on writing? Share your experiences or best tips for beating distractions in the comments.

PRACTICE

Right now, focus on writing for fifteen minutes. Set aside your phone. Close all those tabs you have open to your favorite social media. Pull out a pen and paper and shut yourself in your closet if you have to.

If you have a work in progress, continue writing it. Or, try this writing prompt: Jackson hears a crash in the next room.

When your fifteen minutes are up, share your writing practice in the comments below. Were you able to focus on writing? How hard was it to fight distractions?

Be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers, too!

The post How to Actually Focus on Writing: The Dangers of Pseudo-Working appeared first on The Write Practice.

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How to Fix Your Plot and Pacing With the Four Act Novel Structure

As a recovering pantser, outlining my novel is still somewhat new to me. I love doing it, because it helps me to know in what direction my novel is going so I can actually finish the first draft, but it can be hard to know how to go about doing it.

At what point do you reveal certain plot twists? How long should your middle actually be?

The Four Act Novel Structure

I recently went on a writing retreat with several other Young Adult writers, and Beth Revis helped each of us to fix the pacing and plot holes in our novels by using her four-act structure for a novel.

Some writing techniques aren’t for everybody, but as soon as she walked me through this outlining process, I was hooked. It gave me the perfect guideline for plotting all of my future novels. In fact, I used it to plot my NaNoWriMo novel for this year.

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Struggling with pacing in your novel? Break the story into four acts.

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So let’s talk about the four-act novel structure and what some of the key points are in the outline to help you plan out your next book.

ACT ONE

Normal life

This is where you establish your protagonist’s everyday life. It doesn’t necessarily mean that your protagonist lives an ordinary life, but for them, this is their normal. This helps to show why the inciting incident is so meaningful, because it should change the protagonist’s direction considerably.

This section in your novel may last for an entire chapter, a page, or a paragraph. So long as it fits your story, you can play with the length.

Something happens

There should be a moment in every novel where something significant happens to change everything.

For fantasy novels, this might look like the protagonist discovering the existence of magic. For contemporaries, it could be the arrival of a new kid at school or a new boss at work. It’ll definitely depend on what genre you write.

The new normal

How has this change affected your protagonist? Their life should look different now. They should have new goals in sight, new priorities.

The point of no return

This is the moment that the reader realizes the protagonist can never go back to the way things were during the “normal life” stage. Enough change has occurred that the protagonist is becoming a different person with a different life.

This being the end of Act One, Beth gave the suggestion that we try to make the “point of no return” happen somewhere around page fifty. (Keep in mind we were plotting Young Adult books, so the length may vary if you write adult or middle-grade.)

She suggested this because it becomes a mini-cliffhanger of sorts and when you send in page samples to an agent, you’ll want them to crave more of the story. Fifty pages is a common sample size, so this is a great place to end your first act.

ACT TWO

Plans

Now that your protagonist is stuck on this new trajectory, they have to figure out how they’re going to achieve their goals. This is a great place to amp up the tension so there’s a bigger payoff later on.

Subplot

If your book has a significant subplot, this is a good place to introduce that. Often times, in high-stakes fantasy or sci-fi stories, this might be where the romantic subplot comes in.

Of course, for romances where the romance is the heart of the plot, the subplot will be something different (maybe some family drama or tension between friends).

Everything’s different

This is the end of your second act, so it needs to be something big. Consider the bombastic Broadway songs that often signal the end of the first act, leading to an intermission.

This is the point where the audience is so stunned or concerned or amazed that they need to let it all sink in. Think of this moment as the “extra special” inciting incident.

ACT THREE

New plans

Similar to the beginning of Act Two, now that something has happened to change everything, your protagonist needs to regroup. It’s like the “everything’s different” point was a road closure and now they need to take a detour. What will they do to ensure they still achieve their goals?

Sacrifice 

This is another big moment in your novel and it has the potential to be emotional, too. The sacrifice can come from anyone: your protagonist, the best friend, a parent, the love interest, even your antagonist.

Sacrifices might look like the classic “one character jumps in front of another to save them from a bullet” or it could be as simple as one character giving up their hopes and dreams to help someone they love. The choice is yours.

Darkest moment

At the end of your third act, you want a compelling “all is lost” situation. The couple breaks up. The antagonist is more powerful than ever. The apocalypse is coming.

Your reader should feel as hopeless as your protagonist. Everyone should wonder whether or not the good guys are actually going to make it in the end.

ACT FOUR

Die trying

Again, if you’re writing a thriller, fantasy, sci-fi, or some other “big” genre, this could be a literal “die trying” moment. For romances and contemporaries, this might be where the protagonist makes some sort of grand gesture at the risk of looking silly or losing people close to them.

This is your climax, so go big or go home.

The ending

Your resolution can take many forms. Will you have a happy ending or a tragic one? Maybe it’s somewhere in between.

If you’re writing a series, your ending should take more of a cliffhanger approach. This is where you include your game changing plot twist that leads seamlessly into the sequel.

Whatever you do, your entire novel should have led to this moment to wrap up the story exactly as you planned to.

A Guideline, Not a Rule

While this outline should serve as a guideline for your story, don’t feel like you have to follow it exactly. There are many variations the four act novel structure can take. Halfway through writing your novel, you might realize that you want to take the story in a completely different direction.

And that’s okay!

Outlines aren’t set in stone. They’re something you can fall back on if you’re feeling lost.

Ultimately, though, you’re the author, so you’re in charge. Do what feels right for your story.

Do you outline your novels before writing them? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.

PRACTICE

Use the four-act novel structure to plan out your next big project. Even if you don’t end up using it, it’s a good practice when it comes to visualizing an entire story all at once. Try to keep your outline to two or three sentences for each moment. This should serve as a general overview, not an overly detailed outline.

Take fifteen minutes to plot your story. When you’re finished, share your outline in the comments. Don’t forget to give your fellow writers some love, too. Have fun!

The post How to Fix Your Plot and Pacing With the Four Act Novel Structure appeared first on The Write Practice.

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MyGolfSpy Insider Podcast Episode 3: The Best Year for Drivers Ever?

Will 2019 be the best year for drivers ever?

We think so. Golfers in the market for a new driver will have more choices than ever and that’s exciting. In the golf industry, however, nobody is up without somebody else going down. Which brands are poised to gain ground in the market and which risk dipping a bit?

Keeping it in-house for this episode, MyGolfSpy owner, Adam Beach, and Editor, Tony Covey, discuss how the market is shaping up and make their predictions for a 2019 Most Wanted Winner.

Have a listen.

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Losing Weight on the Bacon Diet: The Keto Diet for Beginners

Searching for information about ‘nutrition’, ‘diet’, or simply asking the question, ‘how do I eat healthily?’, results in an overwhelming flood of content. As a fitness professional, I remember when I started down my path to self-educating on what it means to be healthy. At 15, I didn’t have a lot of options – wait …

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How to Take Stock of Your Writing Goals This Year

The new year is almost here, and for most people that means setting new writing goals and pushing themselves to be better, more productive, and happier.

Before you dive into setting big writing plans for 2019, I urge you to take time out to look at your accomplishments and evaluate the writing goals you set for 2018.

What did you accomplish in 2018?

This question may be depressing, but I want you to think about it anyway.

If you didn’t reach your writing goals, why? Were they too lofty to begin with? Did life get in the way? Do you need to reevaluate the time you can realistically give to writing? Do you need to focus on time management in the new year?

(I want to note that even if you didn’t meet your writing goals this year, you should still be thankful for the writing you did do. Some writing is better than none.)

If you did meet your goals, congratulations! You’re awesome and you should take some time to celebrate and pat yourself on the back.

I didn’t meet my writing goals for 2018. I had a goal to receive 100 rejections. I’ve gotten half that. (And, no, that’s not because I’ve had an amazing number of acceptances.) I had a goal of finishing my third novel. I haven’t done so.

But I did do other things. I launched a website, dived into helping others write and launch their own work, edited an anthology, and took some amazing classes that changed how I write and market my stories.

I didn’t think of any of those things in January. But it’s still important to recognize those accomplishments, to be thankful for them, and to see if I can improve upon those areas in the new year alongside my standard yearly writing goals.

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Have you accomplished your writing goals for 2018?

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How can you make 2019 even better?

Take the waning weeks of this year to take stock of your writing accomplishments. Really think about it.

If you’re like me and didn’t meet your writing goals, think about whether you’d rather change them up for 2019 (perhaps make them more realistic/achievable?) or double down and re-devote yourself to hitting those goals.

If you did meet your goals, did you easily achieve them? Maybe it’s time to up your game and make some harder goals. Push yourself to accomplish more.

Writing goals are useless without evaluation

I don’t want you to set new goals just yet. If you rush this process, you’ll end up setting the writing equivalent of “I’ll lose weight in the new year” which is vague and has no end.

If you’re thinking of saying, “I’ll write every day in 2019,” that’s great, but how many words? What’s feasible and realistic for your life? And what’s measurable?

This is where goal evaluation comes in and why it’s so important to take stock of your writing year. To set realistic goals, and to keep yourself on track and accountable, you need to know what’s feasible for you.

I can write 4,000 words a day on a good day. I could set that goal for myself and knock out a book in a month.

But I won’t. Because I know, by evaluating what I’m capable of accomplishing on a day-to-day basis, that 4,000 words a day is not feasible for my life. It doesn’t mesh with my other responsibilities. It doesn’t mesh with my writing process. And it doesn’t mess with my stress level.

So, I’ll lower my daily writing goal to something attainable for me.

I’ll also decide what are good benchmarks for my goals based on this year’s experiences. It’s unreasonable for me to finish a book in a month. I know this, so I won’t set an unrealistic goal of doing so. Instead, I’ll set deadlines for having a certain word count done.

Notice how I’m talking a lot about numbers? Numbers, like them or hate them, are crucial for goal evaluation.

Remember, “I’ll write every day,” is great, but unspecific. It’s easy to write two words and call that writing for the day. But you’re not moving forward toward an actual accomplishment that way.

Get specific. This time next year, you’ll need to be able to measure your goals to reevaluate them for 2020.

“

Create specific writing goals for 2019. Use numbers, so you can clearly measure whether you meet your goals.

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Prepare for an even better year ahead

Take the next month or so to prepare for January and a whole new year of awesome writing. Take stock of your accomplishments. Love what you’ve done and don’t stress over what you haven’t. Evaluate. Be realistic.

If you do, 2019 will be an amazing writing year.

Do you set writing goals in the new year? Have you ever taken the time to evaluate the past year’s goals? Let me know in the comments!

PRACTICE

Today take fifteen minutes to start working on your writing goal evaluation. Write about what you’ve done this year, about everything you’ve accomplished in your writing. Did your accomplishments align with your goals?

Share your accomplishments in the comments and let’s all give a little praise to each other!

The post How to Take Stock of Your Writing Goals This Year appeared first on The Write Practice.

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First Look: Wilson Staff Prototype Blade

Credit to Golf.com‘s Jonathan Wall for being the first to spot what appears to be new Wilson Prototype blades in Gary Woodland’s bag in the Bahamas.

Gary Woodland was spotted with a set of unreleased @WilsonGolf prototype blades in the Bahamas. 👀 https://t.co/59n8rVAxwY pic.twitter.com/tg2RDe92DS

— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) November 27, 2018

Whoah…

A few hours later, Wilson Staff tour pro Brendan Steele posted a Tweet of his own on the new irons, noting that he was part of the design team. The cat is officially out of the bag.

So new blades and Gary Woodland? What in the name of Gene Sarazen is going on here?

Blade Prototypes

Wilson’s current blade, the FG Tour 100, was released in 2014 as part of Wilson Staff’s 100th anniversary as a golf brand. This new prototype features a few similarities to the Tour 100, including the same bore-through hosel, but the muscle back is a little simpler looking and it appears to be more toe-weighted. We’ve reached out to Wilson for more information, and the company confirms they’ve been waiting for a chance to test the new prototypes with its Tour staff, specifically Brendan Steele.

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It’s shaping up to be a busy fall for Wilson Staff. We’ve been through Driver vs. Driver, and the introduction of Cortex, and a replacement for the two-year-old D300 irons and metalwoods is due by January. Wilson’s FG Tour V6 irons are also two years old, and considering Wilson’s two-year product cycle, MyGolfSpy’s 2017 Most Wanted Player’s Iron is also due for an upgrade.

The other part of the story, however, is what’s up with Gary Woodland?

Partial Free Agent

According to Wall’s article, Woodland is an equipment free-agent, sort of. After leaving Callaway at the end of 2015, he signed a metal-woods only deal with TaylorMade and has been using Titleist irons and wedges without a deal. Woodland will apparently be gaming the new Wilson blades, as well as a Wilson FG Tour V4 utility iron, at this week’s Hero World Challenge.

For its part, Wilson says Woodland expressed some interest in a new blade, and the company was happy to supply him with product – as they would for any Tour player – for personal testing and evaluation. The fact Woodland is putting the irons in play this week in the Bahamas indicates a level of interest a few steps beyond “personal testing.”

The three-time PGA tour winner is currently 32nd in the Official World Golf Rankings, and it remains to be seen if this week represents an equipment trial on his part or a prelude to a new equipment deal with Wilson Staff. If that were to happen, Woodland would be Wilson’s highest ranking Tour pro. Brendan Steele, Kevin Streelman and Padraig Harrington are currently ranked 103rd, 176th, and 187th respectively.

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The Best Ways to Manage Stress with Little Time

Stress is something that everyone deals with at some point, but the American Psychological Association reports that it is on the rise. In 2011, 44% of Americans indicated that their stress levels had risen over the past five years. More Americans reported feeling extreme levels of stress in 2015 versus 2014, and it’s only gotten …

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2018 MOST WANTED SUPER GAME IMPROVEMENT IRON

This is the Reason Why Your Muscles Do Not Grow After a Workout

The best method for increasing muscle mass involves creating a disciplined exercise routine, sleep schedule, and nutritious diet. While you may be taking some steps prior to working out that can help build muscle, are you consciously incorporating healthy post-workout habits as well? Follow these post-workout muscle-building steps, and you’ll start to notice results while …

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4 Character Archetypes Your Story Needs

Have you ever read a story that just falls flat for you and you don’t know why? Chances are it was missing one of the archetypical elements our brains are hardwired to seek out in a story. When you sit down at the keyboard, the last thing you want to do is write a story that fails to grab and hold a reader.

So how do you satisfy those hardwired expectations?

Professor of Literature Joseph Campbell conducted a huge amount of research in the field of Comparative Mythology, analyzing folk stories from different cultures in an attempt to identify shared themes and characteristics. He discovered a number of recurring character archetypes, symbols, and relationships that figured universally into the myths of most every culture, however separated by time and distance.

The Swiss psychologist Carl Jung called these recurring figures archetypes, springing from a heritage we share as humans. These elements have deep meaning for us. Though we may not perceive them on a conscious level, their presence and function in a story influence our experience of that story in compelling ways.

What’s in It for Me?

Christopher Vogler, a Hollywood story analyst specializing in fairy tales and folklore, wrote a captivating book on the subject, The Writer’s Journey. Here’s how he puts it:

“The concept of archetypes is an indispensable tool for understanding the purpose or function of characters in a story. An understanding of these forces is one of the most powerful elements in the modern storyteller’s bag of tricks.”

It’s a vast topic, and I highly recommend the book, but in today’s article I’ve limited my exploration to four archetypical figures that can vitalize your story.

Plug in Your Headphones

I recently listened to an episode of the Story Grid podcast about creating believable characters by using character archetypes. If you’re not familiar with the program, the podcast features discussions between editor Shawn Coyne and book marketing guru turned fiction writer Tim Grahl as Shawn teaches Tim how to write a story that works.

I was so fascinated by Shawn Coyne’s discussion regarding these four archetypical elements that I decided to base this article on what I learned from that episode.

Shawn spoke of six archetypical figures that need to be in your story in one form or another. The first two character archetypes are the hero and the adversary. Each is a topic unto itself and you can find scads of information about how to develop and activate these character archetypes. I’ll leave them alone for now.

Instead I’ll focus on the Two Poles of Order and the Two Poles of Chaos and their inhabitants: the Wise King, the Tyrant, the Creative Force of Nature, and the Destructive Force of Nature.

The Two Poles of Order

Your story should feature the two poles of order. These can be represented by characters, institutions, or take some other form. Both sides produce order, but they bring differing philosophies to the table.

1. The Wise King

This is the mentor figure who understands that the future relies on the skills, preparation, and moral foundation of the rising generation. He is committed, or at least willing, to pass what he has learned to those he deems worthy to carry the cause, and he relies on a fundamental core of principles to keep him sane amid the story’s turmoil.

The Wise King does not buy into the theory that life is a zero sum game. He believes each individual is capable of creation, innovation, and progress, with a budding ability to revitalize or liberate the community. The dire situation is not fixed, but fixable.

Some obvious examples of this figure are Gandolf, Obi Wan Kenobi, and Dumbledore. But you don’t always need a whole character to exemplify this character archetypes. Like all four of these figures, it can be represented by an institution, a story symbol, or embodied in a character who also plays another role.

2. The Tyrant

This figure believes the world is a mess and assumes control to impose order. He comes up with a rigid set of rules that support his world view and enforces them with an iron fist. Those within his power are promised security, but at the price of freedom.

The Tyrant embraces a zero sum perception of life. There are finite resources and not enough to go around, so get them while you can. He uses his might to secure those resources to the people who support him, thus reinforcing his position.

Again, you don’t necessarily need to invest this element in a character. It can show up as a societal constraint or totem, or as some other aspect of your story.

The Two Poles of Chaos

These poles are both forces of nature, often literally. They create a potential for the other characters, providing an opportunity for some kind of action.

1. The Creative Force of Nature

The sun shines, rain falls, plants grow. Nature’s power comes to bear all around us, creating a potential for good. Shawn gives the example of Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz. At a moment of great peril, when Dorothy and her friends are falling under the spell of the sleep-inducing poppies, Glinda causes it to snow, giving them an opportunity to escape.

You can make a Glinda the Good Witch event happen in your story without having a Glinda the Good Witch. Like the other character archetypes, it doesn’t have to be embodied in a character, but it should make an appearance in your story in some form. These are those moments of providence, but they have to be believable.

2. The Destructive Force of Nature

This is the other side of the coin. Natural disaster strikes, creating a potential for the characters to act. An extreme example may be Hitchcock’s The Birds, based on a short story by Daphne Du Maurier. Nature, in the form of the birds, rises up and exceeds its bounds, causing all kinds of trouble and bringing opportunities for the characters to take action.

But the fallout doesn’t have to be bad. Remember, the event creates a potential.

Shawn gives a real life example that occurred during the Revolutionary War. Right at the start, the British had the Continental army at their mercy in Brooklyn. By all appearances, the war was virtually over and the Brits had won.

But then a thick fog descended, giving the Continentals an opportunity to cross the river and escape New York, thereby preserving the birth of a nation.

These forces of nature create a potential, but the characters must choose how to respond. You may represent these forces within two characters in your story. Or maybe both in one character, as in Rainman, where Dustin Hoffman’s character is a force of nature, creating both positive and negative circumstances.

Keeping the Elements in Play

The trick is to bring these elements into play in your story, keeping each in its own realm and behaving consistently. Once you establish a character in one of these poles, they should act accordingly. The reader will sense something out of balance, if only subconsciously, when a character fails to hold down his global category. Only the hero and the adversary should navigate between the two worlds of order and chaos.

An example of how this dynamic operates in a story is Harry Potter. He is the hero, Ron represents chaos, and Hermione is order. Harry navigates between the two and together, they comprise the right brain/left brain universe of Harry.

Another example might be found in Star Trek. Spock is order, McCoy is chaos, and Kirk navigates between them. Together, they are complete.

How Does This Help Me?

Making sure these figures are represented in your story fulfills a reader’s hardwired hankering for certain story elements. But there are benefits that go beyond what’s good for the reader. Having these in place empowers you, as a writer, too.

It gives you a springboard

If you hit a point where you’re not sure what to do with your story, Shawn has a suggestion:

“You’ve got the domain of chaos and the domain of order and then you start writing down which characters represent each. Then when you get stuck and you go, I don’t know what to do with this character, because it just seems like wallpaper, [you remember] oh, well they’re in the domain of chaos. What they should do is probably something that the reader wouldn’t expect that was also consistent with what I’ve done before.”

It gives you limitations

Aren’t limitations a bad thing? Tim had this to say:

“I was talking to somebody the other day and we’re talking about it from a business perspective. I said if you say you can help anybody, then nobody will know if you can help them. It’s like this weird thing. I feel like that about these decisions, like: ‘Okay, well they can be anybody.’ That’s not helpful. Now I don’t know what to do. Narrowing down like: ‘Okay, one of them is going to be chaos, one of them is going to be order.’ Now it cuts in half the actions they can take.”

And Shawn concurred. He said, “Limitations are the great gift for the artist.” They help us focus our efforts where they’ll be most effective.

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Limitations are the great gift for the artist. —Shawn Coyne

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Don’t Take My Word for It

To listen to the complete podcast about these character archetypes or read the transcript, go to the Story Grid website. And be sure to check out the Editors Roundtable podcast too, a panel discussion analyzing movies in terms of story structure.

How about you? Can you think of more examples of stories exemplifying these archetypical figures? Tell us about it in the comments section.

PRACTICE

Take your work in progress, or a story idea you’ve been kicking around, and see if you can identify these character archetypes in your characters. Write a scene where these elements come into play, either showing an orderly world view like the Wise King or the Tyrant, or creating an opportunity for your characters to act based on some element of chaos.

If you don’t have a WIP or idea, use this prompt: Create a character which represents the Tyrant and have him make a speech about the benefits of his system.

Write for fifteen minutes. When you’re finished, post your practice in the comments section. And if you post, be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers!

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7 soulful things to see and do in North East Thailand

I was getting a crick in my neck but I couldn’t stop gazing up at the enormous golden Buddha, silhoutted against a vibrant blue sky. He gazed out across the town, oblivious to the people below. The searing afternoon heat shrouded me in a humid embrace and the scent of...

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Figure-Friendly Feasts: 6 Healthy Swaps for Holiday Meals

For most people, the holidays are one of the best times of the year—family, friends and delicious food all come together for a season of celebration. But, with so many holidays in a row, it can be difficult to turn down steaming plates of stuffing, mashed potatoes and slices of scrumptious pies. People trying out …

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5 Key Muscle Building Tips For Hard Gainers

In the gym, same as in life, we have to play with the cards that are dealt to us, and this saying refers to our body constitution and genetics. Yes, it is true, genetics DO play a tremendous role in one's ability to put on muscle mass, and some people are less fortunate than others. …

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Not Just Another Wallhanger: PXG Releases Limited Edition Darkness Operator Putter

You can add PXG to the list of brands taking this whole Black Friday thing a little too literally.

Just announced is a Limited Edition version of the company’s Operator Putter, and while it may be tempting to throw this one on top an ever-growing pile of paint-driven money grabs, the story here extends beyond the murdered-out look.

At first glance, the story is textbook. A new variable-sized pyramid face pattern offers gripping benefits. Rather than fall back on the industry standard promotes forward roll faster story, PXG is more general in its characterization of that particular element of performance, simply saying, “the small pyramid structures bite into the golf ball cover to create more consistent launch and roll chrematistics.” You can toss in improved sound and feel as well.

Boilerplate for sure, but in the true spirit of the holiday shopping season, I’m compelled to add the requisite, but wait, there’s more.

Indeed there is.

PXG’s escape from the wallhanger category comes via that new pyramid milling pattern. What’s notable is that the size of the pyramid milling pattern varies across the face, with the center being the most densely milled.

As with similar consistent distance technologies, what PXG is effectively doing is slowing down the middle of the face. That may sound counterintuitive, but it’s not much different than what companies do with their driver faces to stay within USGA limits while boosting speed on off-center hits. It’s really hard to boost speed on the perimeter, but if you slow down the center (where ball speeds are greatest), you can, more or less, flatline the rest of the face so that distance is nearly consistent regardless of whether you hit it duck’s nuts center, or out on the toe.

To the just learn how to putt crowd: Spare me your sanctimonious. FYI, even the best players in the world miss the sweet spot on their putters from time to time.

PXG’s technology story hasn’t been independently validated, but on paper, it has the potential to vault it into the high-tech performance putter category with Evnroll and PING.

While PXG’s claim that the Darkness Operator putter can be tailored to suit any stroke is perhaps dubious, it does offer five 1-gram sole weights. Stock, it’s 375-grams. The included weight kit allows golfers to adjust the overall head weight as well as adjust the distribution of weight to tune the closure rate. Whether that’s enough to allow the Darkness Operator to adapt to both straight back straight through, strong arc, and all strokes in-between is a matter for testing, I suppose.

The Limited Edition Darkness Operator is milled from 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum. Each is emblazoned (PXG’s word) with the Darkness skull insignia and the number 26, which represents the 26^th Marine Corps Regiment that PXG Founder, Bob Parsons, served with during the Vietnam war.

The putter comes stuck with a custom SuperStroke Darkness grip, the Darkness Weight Kit, and a uniquely numbered Darkness headcover.

Available now from PXG.com for $700.

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First Look: Ben Hogan BLACK Equalizer Wedges

I’m not entirely sure when the day after Thanksgiving became known as Black Friday, but today has certainly evolved – or maybe devolved – into a Roman orgy of savings and commerce. There are so many offers, discount codes, and can’t-say-no deals bombarding you that you could literally go broke saving money.

The Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company is getting in on the post-Turkey Day fun, releasing a limited-edition set of Equalizer wedges in, of course, black.

Same Wedge, New Shade

It’s been a black and white kind of year for Hogan. The chrome Equalizer wedges and Edge irons were released in early spring, followed by the Ft. Worth Black irons. Several months later, Hogan released the Ft. Worth White irons – the same irons but in a more traditional chrome finish.

The black Equalizers round out the offering, allowing you to buy wedges to match your irons, whether you want all chrome or all black. Hogan says the Ft. Worth Black irons have been very popular, and consumers have been asking for matching wedges.

The black Equalizers use the same Diamond Black Metal – or DBM – finish as the Ft. Worth Black irons. DBM, of course, is the premium finish for black irons and has proven to be considerably more durable than either black oxide, black nickel or, PVD.

Limited Quantities

The black Equalizers are being offered only in a three-club set, featuring 50°, 54°, and 58° wedges. As with all Hogan clubs, they’re available only on the Hogan website.

The three-wedge set sells for $330.00, with your choice of KBS Tour V, KBS Tour 90, True Temper Dynamic Gold or UST Recoil shafts and standard or midsize Hogan grips. As is usual with Hogan, length, loft and lie adjustments are no extra charge.

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TITLEIST TS2 or TS3

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Hogan continues to be very deliberate in filling out its product line. The black Equalizers, just like the Ft. Worth White irons, are simply a tweak to an existing product. Hogan says the black Equalizers are a limited edition and available only in limited quantities, and when they’re gone, they’re gone.

However, since its return from bankruptcy, the new Hogan has shown itself to be a very nimble, albeit cautious, company. The black Equalizers bear all the signs of test-marketing: if they sell, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see a full line of black Equalizers added sometime in 2019.

The black Equalizer wedge set is available starting today on the Ben Hogan website.

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How Writing Can Make You More Thankful

Do you think about your writing too much? Do you focus too much on unfinished writing goals?

I know I do. Every day I catch myself worrying about word counts, deadlines, and opportunities I’ll be missing out on.

You’d think that this kind of obsession would make you a better writer, or at least a more motivated one. But it’s probably poisoning you, embittering you against the very craft you’ve come to love.

To save yourself from this jaded point of view, you need a way to take a step back. You need thankfulness.

Thankfulness Is a Muscle

Have you ever worked out for the first time in awhile, only to discover a bunch of sore muscles you didn’t know were there?

Thankfulness is just like one of those underused muscles. It’s inside of you, but it takes special work to build it up.

There’s a nature reason for this. Gratitude doesn’t come easy. It isn’t the natural byproduct of daily life.

The normal reflex most of us experience, rather, is frustration. When a green light flashes to yellow, you don’t respond with gratitude. When the guy who ordered his food after you gets it first, you don’t think, “Good for him!”

The momentum of the universe hurries us toward chaos, disruption, and destruction — not things that encourage thankfulness and peace.

This is why thankfulness must be practiced. It isn’t automatic. In fact, it is the counter behavior to what is automatic (frustration, anger, bitterness). You have to train your mental muscles to do what is opposite of easy.

You have to deliberately practice thankfulness.

Why You Should Be Thankful for Your Writing

Are you thankful for what you’ve written?

Are you grateful for what you’ve learned over the months, years, or decades you’ve been a writer?

This may seem like a silly question with an easy answer, like, “Of course . . .” But we’re quick to follow it up with reasons why we can’t be too thankful.

For example, I struggle to be thankful for my writing because:

• I haven’t sold many copies of my books.
• I haven’t written and published enough books.
• I’m not living solely off the income from my writing yet.

To be frank, these are important goals and I’m still set on achieving them someday.

But if I only focus on what I haven’t accomplished, I become blind to everything I have accomplished on the journey so far.

Another way to think of this is in terms of parenting. Eventually, I want my newborn son to grow up, find profitable work, marry a wonderful woman, and raise a healthy family. But that can’t happen yet because he can’t even crawl, walk, or speak a word of English.

Should I be grateful for everything he’s done so far in his three months of life? Or should I be bitter that my future goals haven’t come true yet?

It’s a flawed comparison, but the point remains: If we only focus on what hasn’t be accomplished, we risk living lives fraught with negativity and bitterness.

How to Be Grateful For Your Writing

There are a lot of ways to practice gratitude for your own writing. Each is specific to you and your own progress so far.

Here are five ways to practice gratitude for everything you’ve done so far, and to use that positive momentum to re-enter your current writing energized and hopeful.

1. Reread Old Work

Last Christmas, I published a small volume of stories for my family. I was feeling down about my writing a few weeks ago so I picked it up and thumbed through it.

“Damn,” I thought, “this is actually good!” 

Take some time to revisit past accomplishments. Revel in any work you posted, published, submitted to contests, or simply written for loved ones. Each of these took talent, patience, and courage. Celebrate that!

“

Practice thankfulness by celebrating the writing projects you’ve completed. You worked hard to craft something amazing. Well done!

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2. Journal About Why You Write

Not all writers will want to write about writing (how meta!), but you might.

Consider journaling on one of these topics in order to appreciate your successes and face the future with hope:

• When did you write something that scared you?
• Describe the first time you published to a wide audience. How did you rise to the task?
• What is your favorite piece you’ve ever written? Why do you like it so much?

3. Ask Your Writing Community

Reach out to your small group of fellow writers and ask if you can write short notes to each other sharing what each writer does that you are thankful for. It doesn’t have to be long, either. You can use this copy in an email, text, forum post, or whatever:

“Hey friends! I want to take time this holiday to be thankful for writing, and for my writing partners. Can we take a few minutes to write a nice note to each member of our group, telling him/her what we’re grateful for in his/her writing? I think it’d be awesome and really encouraging!”

4. Thank Your Favorite Author

Is there an author that inspires you to be a better storyteller? Consider reaching out to him/her and offering a note of gratitude!

(Dear Cormac MacCarthy and Jon Krakauer, if you’re reading this: Thank you! You two are amazing and I love your work with a crazy burning passion!)

“

Write a thank you note to an author who inspires you. You might just make someone’s day.

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5. Fearlessly Write Something New

Perhaps the best way to be grateful for writing is to do it without fear.

Fear, after all, is wrapped up in the negativity we’re trying to eliminate. If fear is a Dementor, then thankfulness is the patronus charm!

So whether you’re immersed in a work-in-progress (à la NaNoWriMo) or dabbling with a fresh poem or story idea, write something new and continually push fear and doubt away from you. They have no role in a successful writing career anyway.

Thankfulness Leads to Success

Gratitude is a powerful force. It is often the miracle elixir that heals broken relationships and broken spirits.

This Thanksgiving, don’t let thankfulness just be a passing word that you whisper with held breath. Don’t speak aloud about thanksgiving without actually working the muscle of gratitude.

And don’t let your writing fall prey to ingratitude. You wouldn’t let someone poison your water or booby-trap your house, would you?

In the same way, fiercely guard your heart against all forms of bitterness. Practice gratitude today, in both your regular life and your writing life, by doing some active practice. It’ll hurt at first, and probably feel uncomfortable, but it’ll undoubtedly be worth it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for when it comes to your writing? Let us know in the comments.

PRACTICE

Who is your favorite author? Whose books inspired you to write? Take fifteen minutes to write a thank you letter to an author you admire.

When you’re done, share your letter in the comments below, and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers.

BONUS: Share your thank you letter on Twitter where the author might see it! You just might make someone’s day.

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