Prelude:

How is archery similar to fountain pens?

Both are quiet.
Both are highly technical.
Both are old-fashioned.
Both are analog.
Both involve pointy sticks.
Both leave a mark.
Both are excellent for de-stressing.
Both can be enjoyed indoors or outdoors.
Both have the ability to kill your wallet because of the great potential to amass so much gear.
Both have the potential to cause destruction (be it through holes or ink stains).
Both tend to surprise people—usually in a good way.
Targets are to arrows as notebooks are to pens. They just don’t last forever.

Note: I’ve had more mishaps with ink than arrows. Thankfully. Does that mean bows are safer than pens?

Also, statistically, archery is one of the safest sports around. I kid you not.

*Don’t give me ideas… even though that is a dip pen. I love that cover art for obvious reasons.*

Main Idea:

Shooting a bow made me a more responsible writer.

What a weird concept. I suppose this requires some explaining.

*My phone is getting filled with images of defenseless targets…*

I’ve firmly established that I suck in the self-discipline department. I have a certain trouble with tearing myself from whatever I’m feeling zealous about at a given time—writing being the most common offender.

But it’s just so hard to… set that book aside! Stop writing, NOW! Enough scrubbing, already! Drop those dumbbells, no more sets! That shrubbery doesn’t need any more trimming! Put the bow down! STEP AWAY FROM THAT PEN!

You get the idea. My little issue can be problematic and even result in injuries, this fixation on getting things accomplished, my strength of focus, my rabid perfectionism. In my defense, I always mean well.

Because my father warned me against taking up archery for many years (he was a bow hunter, he was very protective of me, and he was certain archery would be too rough on my body), and because I have a nasty history of shoulder pain, I approached archery with extreme caution. I decided if I took lessons, I’d be taught how to properly use my body and then be less likely to injure myself.

Did I hurt in the beginning? When I finally got a bow after decades of wanting one SO BADLY and tried to make up for all those years of archery deprivation with lengthy daily shooting sessions? Heck, yeah. But that behavior didn’t last long. The pain was intense and affected a fair amount of my bodily terrain. For about a month, maybe longer, I felt as if I were running a shoulder clinic thanks to all the effort I put into mending myself.

My hard work paid off. My body healed decently. I got limbs of lighter poundage for my bow because I was clearly “over-bowed.” My new “therapy limbs” made shooting much more comfortable. And I carefully got back into resistance training as gently as possible, bearing in mind that one of my unique health issues renders the standard rules of exercise too intense for me: only through embarrassingly wimpy sessions would I gain strength. My theory worked—I actually got a little stronger without hurting myself.

Naturally, I always learn lessons the hard way. Through that, I’ve developed a personal list of archery commandments:

Do not shoot two days in a row.
Do not shoot and do resistance training on the same day. (Yes, I’m that stupid.)
Do not shoot for over an hour.
Do not shoot more than twice per week.

It dismays my brain sometimes, but my body is responding well to these rules. If I want to keep up with this, I must behave. I must be responsible. I must restrain myself. And my personal lessons are hitting home all the more when I relate them to writing. With either one, if I screw up, I’m deprived of something I love doing—and the injuries make me struggle to function on a basic level. I don’t want that. I’ve had enough.

Having a new diversion helps. Monomania isn’t healthy. Having more hobbies makes it easier to do more activities in smaller chunks of time. And it’s refreshing to do something that isn’t creative, that can never be classified as work. Writing is always half work and half pleasure. Archery is solid therapy, enjoyment, and a way to unwind—and I still manage to learn from it, too.

This is my first ever “Robin Hood” shot. I accomplished Robin Hood shot #2 a few days later. This took me by surprise as I never knew such a thing was possible! And… it looks so silly! I had no idea what to make of it at first, I just surveyed it in puzzlement and disbelief from every possible angle. After I screamed, of course.

Confession:

I haven’t written any blog posts for a while, although I toyed with some longhand drafts from time to time… only to abandon them. Honestly, I haven’t done much writing this year in general. My pens feel neglected. To explain this year thus far:

Seasons of productivity come and go. Other matters have demanded my attention. First, a personal [neurological] revelation turned my life upside down back in December. Then, in March I finally got clinical proof to support I have a certain condition—after 24 years of struggling and being told nothing was wrong (I might get into this later, as I’m big on awareness and advocacy—but this is already a long post). The validation of finally having a diagnosis is a relief (even if it still isn’t the full answer), but still—between both issues I’ve had a great deal of research and learning to do, not to mention just processing all of that information and the emotions. You could say I’m a bit stunned and burned out as a result.

Therefore, my creative inclinations have been minimal (but not totally nonexistent). Instead of writing, I’ve read more books than I have in many years. First part of the year was largely nonfiction, medical material. Now I’ve turned to fiction for comfort, both old favorites that calm me and fun newer books that are quite addictive.

I may have some answers, but my “new” diagnosis is not a condition that is well researched or understood. There is no straightforward treatment. Not much expert advice exists for something I’ve always struggled to manage—so, while I finally know the WHAT, I have yet to learn HOW to find relief. On the bright side, I have my good days and bad days, and lately more good than bad. And I’m so much better than I was a year ago at this time. There are blessings.

I managed to squeak one short story out of myself that will appear in the autumn/winter issue of The Drowsy Dragon. And all of this physical rest means my hands are the best they’ve felt in 20 years! But overall, I feel as if I’m learning anew how to live. It’s been a heavy year, a tiring year, but definitely a year of growth.

After all that, archery, complete with its bull’s-eyes, Robin Hood shots, and other exciting victories/milestones, is certainly good for the morale. I highly recommend it. It makes me feel alive.

I also hope my next post won’t take this long to appear! There are some pen things I’ve been wanting to discuss, but I also have a hard time shutting up about archery. I wonder why.

Pens and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune

Pen Review: Nahvalur Triad