Author: writingatlarge

Writer of things

This evening…

… I didn’t feel like going for my scheduled 5k because it was hot, and I spent most of the day on my feet at a friend’s wedding, so I was tired and pretty sore. But I dragged my ass to the gym, put in my 5k (I hate treadmill runs), and was rewarded with this view on my way back:

There’s never a run that’s not worth it.

The State of Affairs

  • I’ve been running 25k per week for a few weeks now, with a 10k long run included.
  • I’ve started doing daily push-ups for the past week (30 per day). I still need to get back to doing strength exercises.
  • I’ve been reading a lot more and writing a lot more. After a bit of a slump, I decided to give the Streaks app a chance. It’s been helping keeping me on track so far.
  • My second draft has been going in some ways better than expected, in others worse. I hated rewriting my university papers, and I thought that rewriting a 120K word novel would be a pain, but for some reason it isn’t a hassle at all. The first four chapters were simple fixes, but I hit a giant plot hole that I hadn’t noticed once I reached chapter 5. I trashed chapter 5 and chapter 6 completely, writing them from scratch (on the bright side they’re much shorter and better now), and it looks like chapter 7 is going to have to undergo the same treatment. Writing a novel is a process, and I’ve learned a few things about writing since I started, which means that scenes that I wrote almost two years (!) ago just don’t work right now. At least I’m enjoying the process so far, though it is a rather lonely one.
  • Gratuitous photo of a gorgeous Tel Aviv summer sunset from yesterday’s 7k:

    Hello Sailor!

    Bought this years ago and don’t remember the exact limited edition it was, but even the simplest Sailor nib writes like a dream.

    This Week’s Long Run

    Started early today, and once again was rewarded by pretty magnificent sights.

    The geese were out in force, entirely fearless, grazing wherever they pleased.

    Isn’t that view magnificent?

    A man fed a group of stray cats and night herons before sitting down to fish. The cats had the good sense to keep a wary distance from these well-armed birds.

    A night heron between the rushes.

    A total of 10k run today, 5k run yesterday and 25k run this week. Not bad at all.

    Summer sunset

    Taken on a humid and crowded 6k run on the Tel Aviv promenade. No better view to be had.

    This Week’s Long Run

    Woke up at 5AM to go out for a 10k run, leaving at 5:30, while it was still cool and dark.

    First light over a bridge and river, with rushes and a grass bank in the foreground

    The sun starting to rise, 3k into the run, lighting up the water in pink and gold. My legs were tired from yesterday’s 5k, but the view made this run worth while.

    Sun rising in the distance, over a river and Daniel Rowing Center
    That is just breathtaking.

    The park was very peaceful in the morning, and a friendly walker admired the sunrise with me, cheering me on.

    Sun rising behind palm trees and a running paths. Walkers and runners on a path in the park, with sunrise over palms in the backgroundSun peering among the trees, with a river and walking path in the foreground
    Sunrise peering over the trees — my phone camera is doing it no justice.

    I love that the little heron is waiting for the fishermen to fail.

    White herons fishing in the sea
    Little herons fishing for themselves for a change.


    That’s 10K done, most of it before sunrise. I ran 25k this week, the most ever — super proud of myself, and totally worth the early Saturday wake up. 

    Sunrise

    Sunrise over the Tel Aviv port.

    Olive Traveler’s Notebook

    My new Traveler's Notebook arrived yesterday, the Olive limited edition, and I took some time tonight to customise it.

    That's my favourite part of starting a new Traveler's Notebook – setting it up, making it my own – and the main reason I enjoy them so much. This is my fourth TN. I have a Camel limited edition from their 5 year anniversary, a black one, and a pocket one. The camel is my most used
    one.
    First I decorated the notebook it came with, using Windsor Newton gouache. I love ivy and the greenish tinge if the cover inspired me.

    I added a leaf charm to the bookmark and slotted in another notebook — an old Midori sketchbook I had laying around.

    That's it, now all that remains is to use it.

    P.S. I read a review in some site that these TNs have a suede like feeling to them, but they feel like a normal TN to me.
    P. P. S. These covers don't stay pristine for long (and that's their charm), so if you're precious about your things, these aren't for you.