In a meditative memoir, Haruki Murakami, the “Running Novelist,” discusses his parallel approaches to running and writing. For years he kept a running journal to record his progress and reflect on his training. At one point, he realized he was writing “a kind of memoir that centers on the act of running.” His book called What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a thought-provoking read.
In Chapter I, he explains why and how he is writing a book about running and writing. One of his first clarifications is about pacing and rhythm. He states “…if I increase the pace, I shorten the amount of time I run…” and “…when writing a novel. I stop every day right at the point where I feel I can write more.” Regarding motivation, he remarks: “…writing novels and running full marathons are very much alike. …a writer has a quiet inner motivation, and doesn’t seek validation in the outwardly visible.”
Regarding creating an independent self, he comments: “It’s precisely my ability to detect some aspect of a scene that other people can’t, to feel differently than others and choose words that differ from theirs, that’s allowed me to write stories that are mine alone.” When he runs, he ponders, and when he writes he states: “I quietly absorb the things I’m able to, releasing them later, and in as changed form as possible, as part of the storyline in a novel.”
In Chapter 2, Murakami discusses how he came to focus on his writing life, “I place the highest priority on the sort of life that lets me focus on writing, not associating with all the people around me. I felt that the indispensable relationship I should build in my life was not with a specific person, but with an unspecified number of readers.” When he decided definitively to make running his sport, he “…went to a sports store and purchased running gear and some decent shoes…bought a stopwatch…and read a beginner’s book on running. This is how you become a runner.”
In Chapter 3, Murakami writes about his experience with the Athens marathon on a hot summer day—his first marathon. It is a great description for anyone who might be contemplating participation in the race.
In Chapter 4, Murakami details similarities between running and being a novelist.
In Chapter 5, Murakami portrays the changing seasons along the Charles River, the need he finds to be in good physical shape to be a writer, and his approach to giving long speeches in English which is his second language.
In Chapter 6, Murakami tells about running an ultramarathon of sixty-two miles in Japan. He muses about the changes he experienced in his body and in his mind during and after the run. He is surprised to suffer from what he calls “runner’s blues” for a period afterward, and the relief he feels when running becomes normal for him again.
In Chapter 7, Murakami discusses problematic weather and construction issues and pain in his knee as he is preparing for the fall New York Marathon. Regarding writing, he mentions that he is in the process of translating F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby into Japanese.
In Chapter 8, Murakami explains the difficulties he faces in running: problems with his knee, slower times than he expected, and his realization that for him writing and running are both choices he made because he wanted to do them.
In Chapter 9, Murakami shares personal details about what he sees as his shortcomings within the context of completing a triathlon. Because in a triathlon, he must swim and ride a bike, he explains what he had to do to succeed. He completes a triathlon in Japan and goes on to complete others over a period of years. Despite the hardships and accidents he endures, he ends the chapter with his desired epitaph: Writer (And Runner) At Least He Never Walked.
In the Afterword, Haruki Murakami emphasizes that the reason he has spent so much of his life running “is to maintain, and improve, my physical condition in order to keep on writing novels…” So, for the would-be novelists, reading my blog, you might want to follow Murakami’s advice and add a physical regime to your daily life.
I found Murakami’s book on writing and running to be quite entertaining. He clearly demonstrates how to deal with feelings of failure, stick to goals, build a life around doing what one loves to do, maintain one’s physical prowess throughout life, and support one’s mind (and writing) by having a strong body.
My Writing Goals for 2023
Continue to work on my poetry.
I have continued to write a poem per day this month. I also attended the Bardic Trails Zoom poetry evening during which Anna Marie Vaughn presented her lyrical poetry.
Submit poetry to contests/awards:
My first poetry submission to a contest received a pleasant rejection.
Finish, request feedback, and send my first novel out for review:
I am workshopping this novel with my critique group.
Continue to work on my other novels:
I did not work on these novels this month.
Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:
Boulder Writers Alliance: This month I attended our sister organization CIPA’s presentation on Service Providers. It was thought-provoking to listen to the various editors and publishers describe their work. Melanie Mulhall led our breakout group. Melanie runs an award-winning editing business called Dragonheart.
I also participated in Gary Alan McBride’s Writers Who Read group in which we discussed Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabriele Zevin’s tenth novel. After listening to two interviews with her, I decided to read The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, which I enjoyed very much. Her novelistic skills are broad and thorough.
Denver Woman’s Press Club: I read the newsletter and paid my annual dues. I listened to the Author-U podcast with a lawyer who discussed copyright issues.
Women Writing the West: Our critique group discussed my pages and gave me the following feedback: “Shows the relationship between her and her mom.” “Wondering about their ages.” “The dialog was very real. I could hear the girls having their conversation.” “Everyone is happy. You need to create more stress.” “A lot of rich detail, no trouble staying on the page.”
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers: I read the RMFW newsletter. I listened to the three hundredth RMFW podcast with Mark Stevens and Linda Joffe Hull discussing Forty Years of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. A published novelist working on her eleventh book, Linda served in various positions with RMFW. She emphasized how much she learned about agents, editors, and publishing through her service on the conference team. I also listened to a second RMFW podcast with Mark Stevens and Kate Jonuska who discussed the upcoming fall 2023 RMFW Gold Conference in Denver.
This year I plan to monetize my blog:
I studied the directions WordPress provides for monetizing blogs.
Document my writing progress through my blog and post it on the seventh day of each month, one blog per month 2023:
Today is the seventh day of June which is the sixth month of the year. I am posting my sixth blog for 2023. This month has been conducive to writing and reading. Our five inches of rain in May resulted in local flooding, creating beautiful green foothills and flowering, leafy trees in my neighborhood. Sadly, multiple smoke-filled hazy days followed that originated from forest fires in Canada.
June 7th in History
On June 7, 1943, Nikki Giovanni, an original poet, writer, and professor was born.
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