The week before Christmas

 - Sugar’s Slippery Slope

     Last week on my annual three-day gambling and shopping getaway with girlfriends, a friend gave me a jar of goodies that she’d baked. They were delicious. Don’t ask me how much I consumed on my drive back home; I’m afraid I lost count!

     Why is it, after being given a wonderful treat like home baked cookies, I eat them like they’re the last ones I’ll ever enjoy? If any of you readers have a good suggestion on how to put the brakes on grazing, please share it!

   Last week I was on the edge, and now I’m at the bottom of the goodie barrel, fluffy as a marshmallow snowman. It is not a pleasant feeling. I’ve slid down the slippery slope for three days; now it’s time to follow my own advice and return to sensible eating until the next food “event”. With only nine days to go before the big day, there are many more temptations ahead.

     I’m pondering why it’s so impossibly difficult to get back on track after three days of free-reign eating. The mouth wants what the mouth wants, hard to control as a cat! I must accept the inevitable truth—in order to keep from gaining pounds this season, I have to eat less than normal on days when there are no parties or other eating occasions luring me to overindulge.

And meanwhile, thank goodness for stretch jeans!

Tips for Christmas week.

1.  Don’t let a few out-of-control days lead to a week of binging. Accept it, forgive yourself, and eat lean whenever possible.

2.     Put gift treats out of sight. (Or in the trunk!) Allow yourself one or two each day as a reward for your resolve.

3.   Think before you drink! Most alcoholic beverages have 90 calories or many more. Substitute coffee, tea or water for them and save your calories for the things you can’t live without.

4.   Plan ahead. At the beginning of every day, take a few moments to consider your schedule. On party days, cut back on your fat and carb intake during the day so you can afford to splurge at the party.

5.    Remember it’s cold and flu season. Be sure to get enough protein, fiber, fruits and vegetables to stay healthy and ward off all the bugs that are going around.

Dear Readers,

Hope these tips help keep you on track (or close!) during the party season. Have a wonderful, happy and healthy Christmas.

Marla

Preventing Holiday Weight Gain

Christmas Treats—Yeeks!

     Thanksgiving is behind me. I indulged, bulged, and managed to get back on track. And then I started my holiday baking. Making treats to give as gifts is a holiday tradition, which once started is as difficult to get rid of as a yeast infection.

     For more than twenty years I’ve made candy to box up and give as gifts to friends and relatives. Everyone loves my fudge. Unfortunately, so does the cook. Over the years I’ve at least cut down to making two varieties. But two or twenty, the dilemma is the same. How do I keep from stuffing gift goodies into my greedy mouth?

     When Terry and I each had our own house, I shipped it to his garage in sealed containers until I was ready to box it up and give it as gifts. Keeping the candy in our attached garage now, makes it just too darn accessible.

     And everywhere I go, Christmas goodies are out, even at the library and the bank. A few bites here and there, and I’ve upped my daily calorie allotment to code red. I’ve had to wrack my sugar-drenched brain to come up with a few useful suggestions.

     Here goes.

1.     Pass up public goody trays by forming a mental picture of the unsanitary conditions surrounding them. Think about people sneezing on them, children handling each one before deciding, and how long they sit out exposed to who knows how many dastardly germs and menacing viruses.

2.     During the holiday season, few of us has the time or the inclination to write out a food plan every day, but develop a mental plan and stick to it. Plan to allow yourself two or three of your own homemade treats after supper, and keep that in mind when you walk past the cookie trays on display wherever you go.

3.     If you are making treats, box them for gift giving as quickly as possible. This includes a gift tag with the receiver’s name. I find that if I do this, it keeps my fingers out of them. Then store them with a neighbor!

4.     When baking cookies, make everyone else’s favorites and avoid your own.  If that’s impossible, again, allot yourself a few after dinner. I find that allowing myself that small indulgence keeps me from pilfering the gift boxes every time I walk into the garage.

5.     And one handy tip I’ve turned to lately—chewing gum. Hard to snarf up those random treats with gum in your mouth!

Dear Readers,

Every holiday season is a challenge for anyone watching their weight. The best way to keep from gaining is to stay aware of what you’re eating. Even the small things can help. Enjoy the parties, the lights, and celebrate the season!

Marla

HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN

Preparing for Thanksgiving

            Unless you’re stranded on a desert island, being held prisoner in Myanmar, or   are accidentally locked in your storage locker, you’ll be stuffing yourself on the big day. The trick is to give yourself permission to do that without eating more and more every day leading up to Thanksgiving as if you were training for an Olympic event. 

             That isn’t as simple as that sounds. Anticipation makes moderation difficult. Your devious brain will be telling you, “Go ahead. You’ll be overeating on Thanksgiving anyway, you may as well eat whatever you want until then.

Sound familiar?

            Use your brain to help you, not sabotage you. Remain aware of your eating habits.

Don’t starve yourself. Eat sensibly. And get enough sleep! Sound strange? Then you’ve never noticed how much more susceptible you are to food urges on days that you’re exhausted. Getting enough sleep is the best way to be good to yourself and prevent eating binges.

My tips for this week are for those of you—and myself—who are going to be doing the cooking on Thanksgiving. Cooking is a task requiring more that one tip!

1.  If your family and friends are used to having appetizers set out, prepare some that you can pass up. For me, that means herring, a shrimp plate, and stuffed mushroom. I know, it’s really weird not to like those things, but I’m a picky eater except when it comes to junk food. So for me, no chips, cheese, or mixed nuts on my coffee table.

 2.  At the big meal, indulge only in your favorites and pass up the other dozen side dishes. I’ve practiced this one for a while now, and believe me, I’ve never been reprimanded by the hostess since I so obviously enjoy what I am eating.

3.  Make sure to have a supply of disposable plastic containers for leftovers. Send the tempting, high-calorie items home with your guests and don’t take no for an answer. This will require extreme assertiveness on your part when they protest—and they will. Be firm.

Dear readers,

        Remember, Thanksgiving is one day out of three hundred sixty-five. The free

pass you give yourself to eat the things you love on that day is for one day only. Go ahead and indulge, then move on.

         Enjoy!

Marla

Holiday weight gain starts in October! 

            I used to gain ten pounds every year during the holiday season.

How was that much weight-gain possible? It was easy—I started in October. Then I struggled to take off my “Christmas fat” in January and February.

            That shameful acquisition of holiday bulge began in October with Halloween candy. (And I don’t have children to blame its presence on.) Any candy that comes into this house during October is for yours truly. Terry, my significant other, may snatch a piece or two, but he’s not haunted by the same carb addiction as I am.

October is candy month.

            Then there’s the snacking during football games—an annual ritual—the home team couldn’t win if I weren’t encouraging them with the cheers of my crunching.

            Everyone knows what happens in November. In November I vow that I will NOT gain weight over the holidays this year. But, having made that vow, the terror of holiday goodie deprivation niggles at me. The only cure for this tweak of conscience is—guess what?—you’ve got it—a bowl of buttered popcorn and the last of the Halloween candy.

            Then comes the mother of all eating events, Thanksgiving. It would be a sin to diet on Thanksgiving, wouldn’t it? How else would I show my thankfulness except by indulging in everything the buffet has to offer? Someone went to a lot of trouble to cook all that goodness; it would be rude to pass it up.

            I hardly need to remind you what December brings. But I will: parties, Christmas cookies on display everywhere you go, gifts of home made treats, boxes of fudge and chocolates . . . the list goes on.

            I’m not sure January would be the same without digging out my “fat” clothes, bemoaning my food transgressions of the previous ten weeks, and joining a diet group for the umpteenth time. It’s all part of the post-holiday depression syndrome, that and the drifts of snow that nearly cover our west-facing windows.

How have I managed to control my holiday weight gain?

I joined TOPS, weigh in every week, and have been doing so for more than four years now. Has it gotten easier? Not really, but now I face the holidays prepared and with support. Follow this blog through the holidays for tips on how to avoid taking on the snowman shape.

Till next time,

Marla

Tip #1  Halloween Candy.

If you can possibly avoid it, don’t give out candy. Give it to your neighbor to pass out for you or leave the house during trick-or-treat time. If you must have treats to give out, be sure to buy something you don’t care for. Or pass out apples. Or small toys.

Tip #2  Dealing with leftover Halloween candy

I turn all candy over to Terry, he locks it up in the garage, and only gives me two pieces a day, no matter how many I ask for. If you don’t have someone to hold your candy for you in a home-style Fort Knox, throw it out or give it away. But if you throw it out, make sure it’s in the garbage with something disgusting enough to prevent retrieving it in a moment’s mad craving!

Tip #3  Football snacking

Have sensible snacks on hand. Unbuttered popcorn, veggies with yogurt dip. Or, and this one is my favorite, schedule your lunch or your dinner during half time depending on the time of the game, that way you won't be starving as you watch and will have food to look forward to.

Manuscript Organization and the Independent Writer

I wish I could tell you that I have some amazing and simple organization skills that I can pass on to you.

I don’t.

What I can tell you is what NOT to do.

I’ve learned everything the hard way, even making some mistakes more than once. The problem is I write long books, therefore only using things like editing, proofing, Mail Chimp, uploads to Amazon, and Author Central, as infrequently as once a year. It is difficult to establish a learning curve for those things that doesn’t dip into nothingness in between uses.

Here are a few hints on how to avoid costly errors.

1.     Slow down.  I know, I know, everyone tells you to crank out your books as fast as possible and get them uploaded immediately. But having once uploaded the wrong manuscript, one with errors still in place, I can assure you that taking time to double check your manuscript every time you get one back, and before you upload it, will pay off.

2.     Delete early versions. Develop a system that works for you. Date or number every version of your work, and get rid of the old ones as soon as possible. Again, number and/or date them to avoid confusion.

3.     Keep a writing journal. Devote a notebook just to keep track of your promotions, your proofing, editing, formatting, reminders, etc. Date entries and list tips on using things that come up only once in a while. A large planner works great for this and is worth the investment to keep everything in one place.

4.     Post a weekly goal list in front of your computer.  I use a small index card every week and list about five things that I’d like to get done that week, then post it in front of my computer. One of the items is always the number of pages I want to get done that week in the latest book. Change the list weekly and check off what you’ve accomplished.

Dear readers,

We are having a very warm weekend here in northwest Wisconsin as I write this. I’m one of those weird people who love fall and winter, and I’m eagerly waiting for some cool, crisp days!

I’ve just added my latest book to Amazon, and as usual, made some serious errors in the process, which inspired this blog. Hopefully, you will find it helpful.

Have a happy autumn,

Marla

Discouragement and the Older Writer

Is discouragement with writing any different for the older writer?

The older writer has the same pitfalls as any author, in addition to a whole other field of sinkholes.

A lot has been written by and for writers about not giving up. Advice pours forth like rain in April and nervous writers drink it up.

For the older writer, many of our distractions, problems, setbacks, have their own unique characteristics. A different group of life events causes us to have serious setbacks. Some of the most troublesome for our writing careers are not things like school starting, getting married, a new career, or a demanding job. They are painful interferences, like the death of a friend or loved one, being diagnosed with a serious illness, caring for a sick parent or loved one, or even taking the grandkids in for a week. These things can cause an author to set their writing aside and even give up on it entirely.

How to keep writing no matter what

1.    Find ways to stay positive.

Life is too precious to waste days being anxious or depressed. Find a good book on how to stay positive. If you’re pressed for time, keep it in the bathroom and never sit down without reading a page.

Being happy and being positive are decisions we make.

Choose to be happy.

2.    Keep in touch with friends.

Relatives are wonderful, but it’s friends who listen to you vent and cheer you up when all is grim. Take time out for lunch with a friend, see a movie, or just chat over tea and coffee.

3.    Establish ties with other authors.

This one not only got me to be a writer, but my author friends have kept me writing over and over again every time I was ready to give up. Find other authors in your area; your local library is a good place to do this. If that doesn’t work, they are easy to find online.

4.    Keep writing every day despite what life throws at you.

Joe Konrath, (if you aren’t familiar with him, check out his blog) one of the most successful eBook authors, writes 3.000 words a day, every day, and he will stay up into the wee hours to maintain that word rate on days that he is busy with other activities. His favorite advice? BIC – butt in chair!

You don’t have to write 3,000 words a day like Joe, but try to dedicate even 30 minutes a day for writing.

Every week I write a list of about five, to-dos for my writing. The first one on the list is the number of pages I will write that week. Rather than a daily amount, I keep it weekly, to about 14 or more pages a week.

Find a method that works for you.

5.    Explore helpful tools.

Try a mini recorder, carry a small laptop, an iPad, even a small notebook to take advantage of any downtime when you’re away from home. I have a friend (much more technically advanced than myself!) who uses a voice activation tool to record her writing directly to her computer. Don’t let an opportunity to write pass you by.

Dear Readers,

The months after the holidays can be a good time to write, and this year I had a three-month recovery period after hip surgery in late January. I was wheelchair bound and had figured on getting a lot of writing done—I didn’t.

I did read a lot of books, though, and made some progress on my newest novel, but nothing like I’d hoped.

Criticizing myself for that indulgence got me nowhere. It took time, but I finally got back on track. The best way not to get into that state is to stay on track in the first place. That thought inspired me to repeat this blog.

Hope you find it helpful,

Marla

Some suggested reading:

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, by Martin E.P. Seligman

Happy for No Reason, by Marci Shimoff

How Many Characters Are Too Many?

  

  

Will using too many make readers lose interest?

Some critics complained that my first novel had too many characters. Even a good friend, who loved the story, told me she had to take character notes as she was reading to keep all of them straight. So when I wrote my next book, I used a lot fewer characters to make sure that particular complaint wouldn’t happen again. Guess what? There were reviewers who said even that book had too many. Every reader has his own tolerance level.

How important is it for authors to worry about having too many characters?

I write and read suspense. As a reader, I have to agree that sometimes the use of large numbers of characters gets confusing. But it’s  hard to write good suspense or a good thriller with just a few characters. Remember The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo trilogy? Yikes! If there were ever books requiring the reader to take notes, those were the ones. A few of the names were even spelled very similarly. And that series was on the NYT bestseller list for years.

            So what makes a tolerable character list for readers? And why will readers accept dozens from some authors yet complain about too many from authors with 10 or twelve? Readers—we want to hear from you!

            Here are some ways to keep your reader abreast of your characters:

1.     Do keep characters’ names different. Avoid names that sound alike, look alike or even begin with the same letter.

2.     If possible, introduce characters one at a time, with scenes in between the introductions. There’s nothing harder to follow than getting hit with an entire team of law personnel, for example, at the same time.

3.     Try not to switch points-of-view within a scene. This is a basic “rule” of writing style, however, I’ve seen some famous writers breaking it when doing dialogue between two main characters. Unless you’re in their league, stay away from it. It’s difficult to do it effectively without confusing the reader.

4.     Find creative ways to remind the reader of who a character is and how he fits into the story when he hasn’t been mentioned for a while. Keep in mind every reader won’t be reading the book straight through and will need to have his or her memory refreshed.

5.     Always be sure each character is necessary to your story. Characters, like words, need to be cut if not relevant to the plot line.

Dear Readers,

I hope you are enjoying our early spring. The ice went out early here in NW Wisconsin and the temperature has been above normal. The boats are out on the lake, the trees are budding, and the eagles are circling. Summer will be here soon.

For the last three months I’ve been recovering from hip surgery and have been doing a lot of reading, which has inspired me to repeat this blog on numbers of characters in a book, so my apologies to anyone who remembers it. But, of course, most valuable advice bears repeating.

Have a wonderful week,

Marla