About to head out for a walk in this beautiful state of Colorado and it led to me wonder, "How do other screenwriters exercise?" I find my best ideas flood in once finishing a workout but my best writing is done the next day. First I thought about some of my favorite comedians, I mean joke writing is it's own art form but they write, right? Louis C.K. runs most mornings, Chelsea Handler goes hard in the gym, Kevin Hart lifts weights. What about just those considered worthy writers (Pulitzer Prize considered)? What charges their mental battery? James Clear shares on his website jamesclear (dot) com , "Vonnegut did pushups as a break from writing. Murakami runs 10 kilometers each day. A.J. Jacobs types while walking on a treadmill. You can decide what works for you, but make sure you get out and move." So creatives of all types, I'm heading out but I'll be back and look forward to reading what you do... or don't do.
Screenwriting : Exercise the Demons! by Wesley S. Miles
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I'm pretty active and usually work out in some form every day. I have to, otherwise I would be fat and grumpy! I've been a runner for about 20 years and it's where some of my weirdest thoughts and best ideas generate. I also go to spin classes- something about the neon-lit room, pulsing music and constant movement puts my brain into gear. I think about work a lot when I'm spinning. For pure rejuvenation, hot yoga class, it clears my mind and soothes my soul. And my daily evening walk with my giant beast of a dog gives me peace.
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Awesome! Dogs are great workout partners and motivators. I've never tried the hot yoga but definitely agree regulated breathing and stretching gives a great calm which can balance the storms of the brain. Thanks for the share Jody!
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I work in coffee shops and cycle from one to the other, which gets me some exercise and some time to think about the next scene.
Lift weights. Play tennis. A lil yoga... You play tennis?
I'm off to lie down.
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No tennis but used to play racquetball.
I just hit for cardio and I have raquet for you. How far are you from Lakewood? 45 min?
I am in the military so I have to stay in shape. But on the weekends when I do the majority of my writing (my poor Xboxes are just paperweights) if I start to get stuck or I get restless I will go out for a run while listening to my music. Or I will drive to the shop that I work at and use the weight room that we have.
Wesley – The High Country is in my blood. I lived in Steamboat Springs then Nederland when I graduated from CU. I loved exploring the old mining towns & camps and used to go walk-about for weeks at a time along the Continental Divide. That's what charged my batteries to produce the CU Winter Festival, the Steamboat Winter Carnival films and work as a shooter on the Ski Free films back in the 1960's. Working (for free) on the original True Grit up in Ofer was inspiration for a young starry-eyed young ski bum. Now I track the wily trout on the McKenzie, then I nap, then I write.
I am weird so I go to my favorite coffee shop, buy myself a huge cup of coffee, a blueberry pie (if they have some otherwise it´s probably gonna be a cheesecake) and I sit down and think. And I visualize and try to see the scenes before me. Then I start writing as I have a beginning and an end clear as day in my head. The middle changes the most during the writing and re-writing. Sometimes, I´m on a role and sometimes it all takes much longer. :) I watch people, I listen to them for inspiration and details. Weird, I know.