Last weekend, I've had my first massage lessons, and I love giving massages. I over-worked a few muscles in my forearms, but a couple days later, I was pretty much back to normal, so all's good. I now have to get 80 hrs of practice, several case studies and homework, and I'll be ready for my exam in late September. Then a month off and I'll start the sports massage course at the same place.
LA Witt is currently at my house and we're both so slammed with deadlines that we're right now working on our solo books rather than continue on the next book in her Wilde's series (basically a follow-up of No Distance Left To Run); I'm currently battling through Suckerpunch and have reached the "boring piece of shit" stage, but I think part of my problem with the book is that it's currently single-POV and might need a double POV (both Nathaniel and Brooklyn). Which means retro-fitting everything I've done so far, which is a bloody pain in the neck.
Normally, it's the other way around - I tend to eliminate additional POVs and stick to one. For example, I went 25k in Scorpion with a double-POV, alternating between Steel and Kendras before I realised Steel is just not that interesting. I frankly think it increases tension and stakes if I stick to one POV - and it's more difficult to tell a whole story that way even though the POV character is biased or might not "get" what's going on, while the reader should. I do think I'm best when I go deep into a single character and limit his ability to get the whole picture. Of course, he should be smart and perceptive--I've yet to write a really dumb/unperceptive character. Some of my favourite books are single-POV: all of Scorpion, Skybound, If It Drives, and Capture & Surrender, and of course Hostile Ground, which is currently tearing up the Amazon charts. (Thanks, guys!)
I've now been "freelance" for five months, and my stress levels are way down. I could be more productive, but overall, I think I'm in a pretty good headspace now. The massage course definitely helps with that--learning new interesting skills you can actually use really helps with the sense of being stuck in place. The big thing now is the UK Meet, and after that, I'll focus on finishing up some books and becoming a damn good masseur.
To that end, my partner sponsored a nice massage table which I have to assemble and then I'll unleash what I know about back massage. That's the issue with learning it a certain way--you do need the right tools to not ruin your back and assorted joints. But it's fun, and I have lots of volunteers to get my 80hrs of practice.
Life's good.
LA Witt is currently at my house and we're both so slammed with deadlines that we're right now working on our solo books rather than continue on the next book in her Wilde's series (basically a follow-up of No Distance Left To Run); I'm currently battling through Suckerpunch and have reached the "boring piece of shit" stage, but I think part of my problem with the book is that it's currently single-POV and might need a double POV (both Nathaniel and Brooklyn). Which means retro-fitting everything I've done so far, which is a bloody pain in the neck.
Normally, it's the other way around - I tend to eliminate additional POVs and stick to one. For example, I went 25k in Scorpion with a double-POV, alternating between Steel and Kendras before I realised Steel is just not that interesting. I frankly think it increases tension and stakes if I stick to one POV - and it's more difficult to tell a whole story that way even though the POV character is biased or might not "get" what's going on, while the reader should. I do think I'm best when I go deep into a single character and limit his ability to get the whole picture. Of course, he should be smart and perceptive--I've yet to write a really dumb/unperceptive character. Some of my favourite books are single-POV: all of Scorpion, Skybound, If It Drives, and Capture & Surrender, and of course Hostile Ground, which is currently tearing up the Amazon charts. (Thanks, guys!)
I've now been "freelance" for five months, and my stress levels are way down. I could be more productive, but overall, I think I'm in a pretty good headspace now. The massage course definitely helps with that--learning new interesting skills you can actually use really helps with the sense of being stuck in place. The big thing now is the UK Meet, and after that, I'll focus on finishing up some books and becoming a damn good masseur.
To that end, my partner sponsored a nice massage table which I have to assemble and then I'll unleash what I know about back massage. That's the issue with learning it a certain way--you do need the right tools to not ruin your back and assorted joints. But it's fun, and I have lots of volunteers to get my 80hrs of practice.
Life's good.
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