Jennifer R. Hubbard's Blog, page 68
November 11, 2012
Revision fever
My posts have been a little scarcer lately because I've been in the throes of a big revision. It was the main thing on my mind (well, besides Hurricane Sandy, the election, and a few major things going on in friends' lives), and yet I didn't want to blog about it. I usually like to blog about writing ideas after I've had time to mull them over. Not only does writing about my work-in-progress carry the risk of draining some of the energy I need to pour into it, but the daily progress of a revision is not ripe for blogging (not in my case, anyway). It resembles the journey of a roller coaster operated by a bunch of lunatic cats. Documenting the ride would look something like this:
"I have no idea what I'm going to do in this scene. Oh! I know! Character A will fight with Character B! Wait, no they won't. They just fought 10 pages earlier. But I'm getting rid of Character C, that's for sure. No, what I'll do with C is give her an even bigger role. In fact, she can carry D's role too, and I'm axing D. No, I'm keeping D, and making him twins. Also, chapter 3 is going, but I'm bringing back the old version of chapter 9. Yes! No! I don't know! A will fight with B. And I'm getting rid of C. And D isn't twins--that's stupid. I know! I will combine the two fights that A and B have into one fight scene. They don't need to fight twice. And D will take on C's role, but will not become twins. There. I've fixed it. Unless ..."
None of that refers to the actual plot of my actual book, but you get the idea.
The most useful observation I've had from my recent revision was this: Whenever possible, use what's already there. Find another purpose for an already-established hobby or quirk; give more responsibility to an already-existing character. Develop a grudge or a crush. It's so much easier to water the seeds that we've already planted than to drag a whole new rosebush into the garden.
"I have no idea what I'm going to do in this scene. Oh! I know! Character A will fight with Character B! Wait, no they won't. They just fought 10 pages earlier. But I'm getting rid of Character C, that's for sure. No, what I'll do with C is give her an even bigger role. In fact, she can carry D's role too, and I'm axing D. No, I'm keeping D, and making him twins. Also, chapter 3 is going, but I'm bringing back the old version of chapter 9. Yes! No! I don't know! A will fight with B. And I'm getting rid of C. And D isn't twins--that's stupid. I know! I will combine the two fights that A and B have into one fight scene. They don't need to fight twice. And D will take on C's role, but will not become twins. There. I've fixed it. Unless ..."
None of that refers to the actual plot of my actual book, but you get the idea.
The most useful observation I've had from my recent revision was this: Whenever possible, use what's already there. Find another purpose for an already-established hobby or quirk; give more responsibility to an already-existing character. Develop a grudge or a crush. It's so much easier to water the seeds that we've already planted than to drag a whole new rosebush into the garden.
November 7, 2012
Many words, or few
It's NaNoWriMo, the month when thousands of people try to write a draft of a book in 30 days. While they are focusing on getting words to come out--some 1700 words a day--I'm toying with an idea on the other end of the spectrum.
A few years ago, I saw an article in National Geographic about a nature photographer who was feeling jaded and uninspired. He decided to try an experiment. For 90 days, he would take one photograph a day. Only one photograph a day.
Some days he knew exactly what his picture would be; he waited for the right light and took it. Some days he got the shot he wanted right away. Some days, he wandered a long time, changed his mind, and didn't get his picture until late. Photographers are used to taking many shots and weeding heavily for their final pictures. But this photographer found that having only one shot per day made him more selective, more observant, more careful. And he started having fun again, because of the challenge.
I thought: what if a writer who was daunted by the word counts of NaNoWriMo, or wasn't in the right frame of mind to draft a novel, went in the other direction and did a sort of writerly equivalent of the photographer's challenge? What if a writer set a goal of a single 100-word piece a day (or 50 words, or 500, depending on whatever feels compact yet manageable) for a month? 100 words could be a poem, or a piece of flash fiction. A writer could go even shorter and try one haiku a day. With only one short piece a day to focus on, the writer would exercise different creative muscles than the ones that are exercised by NaNoWriMo. So I'm just throwing the idea out there into the world, in case anyone cares to try it.
By the way, I see via internet search that many people have done versions of the one-photo-a-day challenge. But the one I saw first, the one I referred to at the top of this post, was Chased by the Light: A 90-Day Journey, by Jim Brandenburg.
A few years ago, I saw an article in National Geographic about a nature photographer who was feeling jaded and uninspired. He decided to try an experiment. For 90 days, he would take one photograph a day. Only one photograph a day.
Some days he knew exactly what his picture would be; he waited for the right light and took it. Some days he got the shot he wanted right away. Some days, he wandered a long time, changed his mind, and didn't get his picture until late. Photographers are used to taking many shots and weeding heavily for their final pictures. But this photographer found that having only one shot per day made him more selective, more observant, more careful. And he started having fun again, because of the challenge.
I thought: what if a writer who was daunted by the word counts of NaNoWriMo, or wasn't in the right frame of mind to draft a novel, went in the other direction and did a sort of writerly equivalent of the photographer's challenge? What if a writer set a goal of a single 100-word piece a day (or 50 words, or 500, depending on whatever feels compact yet manageable) for a month? 100 words could be a poem, or a piece of flash fiction. A writer could go even shorter and try one haiku a day. With only one short piece a day to focus on, the writer would exercise different creative muscles than the ones that are exercised by NaNoWriMo. So I'm just throwing the idea out there into the world, in case anyone cares to try it.
By the way, I see via internet search that many people have done versions of the one-photo-a-day challenge. But the one I saw first, the one I referred to at the top of this post, was Chased by the Light: A 90-Day Journey, by Jim Brandenburg.
November 5, 2012
Books of our youth: The Girl with the Silver Eyes
Today's guest post, part of a series about the books that influence us in our younger years, is by Michelle Davidson Argyle. It reminds me of how I, too, wanted special telekinetic powers when I was a teen ... but alas, they never materialized ...
One of the most memorable novels of my childhood is The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts. This book meant a lot to me as a kid, mainly because it’s about a girl who doesn’t feel like she fits in. I never felt like I fit in.
Katie, the main character, has silver eyes and can move things just by thinking about them. I realized, after reading the book about twenty times, that Katie probably would have felt like an outcast even if it weren’t for her strange silver eyes. I think this is one of the first novels that stuck it into my head how effective it is to give characters physical flaws that can mirror inward flaws. These days, you see this all over the place in young adult novels, but back when I was a kid, this kind of paranormal story wasn’t as “normal” as it is now, so it was exciting and new. I think kids and young adult readers are still reading this book, so I’m happy it hasn’t been forgotten!
MICHELLE DAVIDSON ARGYLE lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. You can find more of her online at michelledavidsonargyle.com. Her latest book is BONDED:
BONDED contains a fairy tale continuation (Cinders, based on Cinderella), a fairy tale retelling (Thirds, based on One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes), and a fairy tale prequel (Scales, based on Sleeping Beauty).
One of the most memorable novels of my childhood is The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts. This book meant a lot to me as a kid, mainly because it’s about a girl who doesn’t feel like she fits in. I never felt like I fit in.
Katie, the main character, has silver eyes and can move things just by thinking about them. I realized, after reading the book about twenty times, that Katie probably would have felt like an outcast even if it weren’t for her strange silver eyes. I think this is one of the first novels that stuck it into my head how effective it is to give characters physical flaws that can mirror inward flaws. These days, you see this all over the place in young adult novels, but back when I was a kid, this kind of paranormal story wasn’t as “normal” as it is now, so it was exciting and new. I think kids and young adult readers are still reading this book, so I’m happy it hasn’t been forgotten!
MICHELLE DAVIDSON ARGYLE lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. You can find more of her online at michelledavidsonargyle.com. Her latest book is BONDED:
BONDED contains a fairy tale continuation (Cinders, based on Cinderella), a fairy tale retelling (Thirds, based on One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes), and a fairy tale prequel (Scales, based on Sleeping Beauty).
November 4, 2012
Persistence
At Writer Unboxed, Lydia Sharp wrote a beautiful post the other day about weathering the storms of the unpredictable writing life, including such lines as, "I lost my sanity long ago. Only the craziest of us have stuck it out." Many of us have experienced this: "You’ve had success in the past (that you will never take for granted), and this tricks you into believing that you should be further along your path than you really are." So often, our suffering is driven by the gap between reality and our expectations.
And, like Lydia, I can remember that some of my greatest writing and publishing moments came close on the heels of some of the worst ones. Just when it seemed as if I would never fix that plot problem, or get an offer for that story, or find the right ending ... I did. My best moments have been coated in the sweat of hard work and anxiety, rather than sprinkles and fairy dust, but hey, I'll still take 'em.
Writer Joelle Anthony created a lovely door hanger to celebrate the release of her book The Right and the Real. On one side, it has information about her books, and on the other, it says, "Don't bug me, I'm reading!" above a photo of a stack of books. Included in the pictured stack of books is Try Not to Breathe, and for that reason, Joelle was kind enough to send me an extra door hanger to give away.
I could just give out this door hanger at an author event, but I thought it would be nice to give it to a person who is interested enough in my writing to read my blog. I really do appreciate those of you who read and comment here, and help make this a cozy corner of the internet. So, if you would like it, email me at jennifer[at]jenniferhubbard[dot]com, and just tell me briefly why you'd like it. You don't have to be in the US, but you do have to be at least 13 years old. If more than one person wants it, I'll pull a name at random.
Also pictured in the stack of books: Imaginary Girls, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, The Winter Pony, Rose Sees Red, Everneath, and others. You can see what the door hanger looks like here.
And, like Lydia, I can remember that some of my greatest writing and publishing moments came close on the heels of some of the worst ones. Just when it seemed as if I would never fix that plot problem, or get an offer for that story, or find the right ending ... I did. My best moments have been coated in the sweat of hard work and anxiety, rather than sprinkles and fairy dust, but hey, I'll still take 'em.
Writer Joelle Anthony created a lovely door hanger to celebrate the release of her book The Right and the Real. On one side, it has information about her books, and on the other, it says, "Don't bug me, I'm reading!" above a photo of a stack of books. Included in the pictured stack of books is Try Not to Breathe, and for that reason, Joelle was kind enough to send me an extra door hanger to give away.
I could just give out this door hanger at an author event, but I thought it would be nice to give it to a person who is interested enough in my writing to read my blog. I really do appreciate those of you who read and comment here, and help make this a cozy corner of the internet. So, if you would like it, email me at jennifer[at]jenniferhubbard[dot]com, and just tell me briefly why you'd like it. You don't have to be in the US, but you do have to be at least 13 years old. If more than one person wants it, I'll pull a name at random.
Also pictured in the stack of books: Imaginary Girls, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, The Winter Pony, Rose Sees Red, Everneath, and others. You can see what the door hanger looks like here.
November 1, 2012
Writer on the storm (Thankful Thursday)
On Monday evening, we lost power as the storm formerly known as Hurricane Sandy (then known as Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy) swept through the area. We called the power company on our thankfully-functioning land line. We listened to our local AM news station on a little battery-operated radio. We lay in the dark, listening to the wind, and watching occasional brilliant flashes in the sky (lightning? electrical explosions?) that were mysteriously accompanied by no sound. We thought about the giant trees surrounding us. The wind blew all night.
On Tuesday, we attempted to take a walk. Two blocks away, a road was barricaded. Three blocks away, a snapped tree rested on sagging power lines. Four blocks away, another road was barricaded. At that intersection, the traffic signals were dark. We walked past the train tracks: their signals were lit, but no trains were running, or would run at all that day.
But we were lucky. Our house was intact and dry; our trees were standing; no power lines lay on our house or in our road. I was able to do some cleaning (something I never seem to have time for otherwise), worked on my book by writing scenes and notes in longhand, read next to the window and later by candlelight, and talked with my husband. That gift of slow-moving time, time to think, was a blessing, too. I was lucky to have all those blessings, and I knew it.
I did long for a hot shower (we had water, but no hot water). And soup took forever to boil on our gas grill. And our only sources of entertainment were writing, reading, and the radio. It was like living in 1947. But still? LUCKY.
The power came back first, after 27 dark quiet hours. A day later, the internet returned. I reveled in the shower, and in lights that appear at the flick of a switch. I'm glad to be back in touch with the world, but sickened by the devastation I can now see in pictures, especially in NY and NJ.
For me, it's a Thankful Thursday. I hope you and yours are well.
On Tuesday, we attempted to take a walk. Two blocks away, a road was barricaded. Three blocks away, a snapped tree rested on sagging power lines. Four blocks away, another road was barricaded. At that intersection, the traffic signals were dark. We walked past the train tracks: their signals were lit, but no trains were running, or would run at all that day.
But we were lucky. Our house was intact and dry; our trees were standing; no power lines lay on our house or in our road. I was able to do some cleaning (something I never seem to have time for otherwise), worked on my book by writing scenes and notes in longhand, read next to the window and later by candlelight, and talked with my husband. That gift of slow-moving time, time to think, was a blessing, too. I was lucky to have all those blessings, and I knew it.
I did long for a hot shower (we had water, but no hot water). And soup took forever to boil on our gas grill. And our only sources of entertainment were writing, reading, and the radio. It was like living in 1947. But still? LUCKY.
The power came back first, after 27 dark quiet hours. A day later, the internet returned. I reveled in the shower, and in lights that appear at the flick of a switch. I'm glad to be back in touch with the world, but sickened by the devastation I can now see in pictures, especially in NY and NJ.
For me, it's a Thankful Thursday. I hope you and yours are well.
October 28, 2012
Reading material
The projected storm track seems to put this Frankenstorm passing right over my house, so if I'm not around in the coming days, it's most likely due to a loss of electricity. Here are some links to reading material:
I posted over at YA Outside the Lines about fear. A sample: "I used to think I was the only person in the world with fears."
A short story of mine called "The Train Tracks" is up at Wattpad. A sample: "Then she darted forward, across the tracks at the same instant the train ... thundered toward us."
And I loved John Vorhaus's "Verbing the Nouns" over at Writer Unboxed. A sample: "The truth is, I am kind of a grammar nit. When I see an apostrophe catastrophe ... I feel morally bound to correct it, or at least mock it. But the other truth is that I do reinvent the language every day, and I do it will full madness of forethought. (See? See what I did? I just did it there.)"
Happy reading and writing, and may the storms pass lightly over us all.
I posted over at YA Outside the Lines about fear. A sample: "I used to think I was the only person in the world with fears."
A short story of mine called "The Train Tracks" is up at Wattpad. A sample: "Then she darted forward, across the tracks at the same instant the train ... thundered toward us."
And I loved John Vorhaus's "Verbing the Nouns" over at Writer Unboxed. A sample: "The truth is, I am kind of a grammar nit. When I see an apostrophe catastrophe ... I feel morally bound to correct it, or at least mock it. But the other truth is that I do reinvent the language every day, and I do it will full madness of forethought. (See? See what I did? I just did it there.)"
Happy reading and writing, and may the storms pass lightly over us all.
October 26, 2012
Friday Five
A quintet of things to do and think about this weekend, in between watching weather reports for the approach of Frankenstorm Sandy:
1. Save the indies. Want to help some indie bookstores? Books of Wonder (New York) is doing an online fundraiser right now, with special art- and book-related gifts for different donation levels. BoW is a fantastic children's bookstore that hosts tons of events and really supports authors (and readers, of course!) Please click over and donate if you're so moved.
Another indie bookstore that a community is trying to save is Chester County Books and Music in West Chester, PA. If you're in the area, please drop by there. They're also having some multi-author events!
2. Skype an author--for free. Kate Messner has collected a list of authors who Skype with classes and book clubs for free. Pass it along to your favorite teachers, librarians, and book-club organizers!
3. Breathe. Professor Nana blogged recently about time management, to-do lists, and how it's okay to be dormant sometimes. A sample: "Like many of my friends and colleagues, I have a tough time saying NO. I agree to things thinking they will not take much time and then discover that I have said YES to so many things there may not be time to do them all."
4. Ponder. Here are a couple of snippets from my writing notebook. The first is, "Nobody else is going to tie your bow." That was supposed to be a note for something I wanted to blog about, but the trouble is, I'm not sure what I meant by that. Food for thought! On the other hand, "You are freer than you know," is obvious--in fact, so obvious that I don't have much else to say about it, and can't turn it into a whole blog post.
5. Enjoy the literary flair of scientists. I learned of this via Govexec.com. The National Weather Service's Extended Forecast dated 3:13 PM EDT, October 25, began in sober meteorologist-speak ("Despite a modest cluster of outlying deterministic solutions and ensemble members from the various modeling centers"), and continued with jargon such as "amplifying polar trough" and "hybrid vortex." It then veered rather startlingly into creative and literary territory: "... once the combined gyre materializes, it should settle back toward the interior Northeast through Halloween, inviting perhaps a ghoulish nickname for the cyclone along the lines of "Frankenstorm," an allusion to Mary Shelley's gothic creature of synthesized elements."
Now, was the possessor of this golden quill a frustrated English major who was shunted into weather forecasting? Or a Renaissance man or woman, comfortable in the worlds of both meteorology and literature? I don't know. All I know is: YOU ROCK, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
And stay safe, everyone.
1. Save the indies. Want to help some indie bookstores? Books of Wonder (New York) is doing an online fundraiser right now, with special art- and book-related gifts for different donation levels. BoW is a fantastic children's bookstore that hosts tons of events and really supports authors (and readers, of course!) Please click over and donate if you're so moved.
Another indie bookstore that a community is trying to save is Chester County Books and Music in West Chester, PA. If you're in the area, please drop by there. They're also having some multi-author events!
2. Skype an author--for free. Kate Messner has collected a list of authors who Skype with classes and book clubs for free. Pass it along to your favorite teachers, librarians, and book-club organizers!
3. Breathe. Professor Nana blogged recently about time management, to-do lists, and how it's okay to be dormant sometimes. A sample: "Like many of my friends and colleagues, I have a tough time saying NO. I agree to things thinking they will not take much time and then discover that I have said YES to so many things there may not be time to do them all."
4. Ponder. Here are a couple of snippets from my writing notebook. The first is, "Nobody else is going to tie your bow." That was supposed to be a note for something I wanted to blog about, but the trouble is, I'm not sure what I meant by that. Food for thought! On the other hand, "You are freer than you know," is obvious--in fact, so obvious that I don't have much else to say about it, and can't turn it into a whole blog post.
5. Enjoy the literary flair of scientists. I learned of this via Govexec.com. The National Weather Service's Extended Forecast dated 3:13 PM EDT, October 25, began in sober meteorologist-speak ("Despite a modest cluster of outlying deterministic solutions and ensemble members from the various modeling centers"), and continued with jargon such as "amplifying polar trough" and "hybrid vortex." It then veered rather startlingly into creative and literary territory: "... once the combined gyre materializes, it should settle back toward the interior Northeast through Halloween, inviting perhaps a ghoulish nickname for the cyclone along the lines of "Frankenstorm," an allusion to Mary Shelley's gothic creature of synthesized elements."
Now, was the possessor of this golden quill a frustrated English major who was shunted into weather forecasting? Or a Renaissance man or woman, comfortable in the worlds of both meteorology and literature? I don't know. All I know is: YOU ROCK, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
And stay safe, everyone.
October 25, 2012
In the weeds
Writers talk a lot about the difficulty of the publishing world: the uncertainty of getting published or getting read, the whims of the marketplace. Those difficulties are often set against the joy of the writing process. And it's true that generally, writing is more fun than marketing.
But there are times when the writing itself--the craft part, not the marketing--is tough. When you don't know how to start something, or how to finish it. When you don't know how to fix what isn't working. When you can't stand to look at the page for another minute, because you have read the words there so many times.
Those moments can come as a shock, especially after a long period of smooth drafting, or a bout of revision when everything has seemed to click. But that's just the way it is sometimes. It happens especially if we're challenging ourselves. There's always a way out (or through), even if it's frustrating that the way is not immediately apparent.
Sometimes, in those moments when we have to stop and search for the path out, or wait for it to reveal itself, unexpected benefits come.
But there are times when the writing itself--the craft part, not the marketing--is tough. When you don't know how to start something, or how to finish it. When you don't know how to fix what isn't working. When you can't stand to look at the page for another minute, because you have read the words there so many times.
Those moments can come as a shock, especially after a long period of smooth drafting, or a bout of revision when everything has seemed to click. But that's just the way it is sometimes. It happens especially if we're challenging ourselves. There's always a way out (or through), even if it's frustrating that the way is not immediately apparent.
Sometimes, in those moments when we have to stop and search for the path out, or wait for it to reveal itself, unexpected benefits come.
October 23, 2012
Pushing boundaries
I went to an author event recently for an author I've seen before. His events are consistently packed; people pay to see him; they wait in long lines to get their books signed. And I've been thinking about his appeal, about what works so well.
He's funny, for one thing, and funny is great for live events. But he's also daring. He pushes things to the point where he risks going too far: honesty about the grosser side of human nature; jokes about some things we take seriously and fear intensely. He's not cruel; there's a generosity in his willingness to shine the spotlight on other authors, and to draw the biggest laughs at his own expense.
But it's that daring I'm thinking about today. That risk-taking, that boundary-pushing. I especially admire it at a live event, where you can hear the audience groan, gasp, or laugh, providing the kind of instant judgment that can be difficult for writers to take. He seems to read a lot of pre-published work, and I wonder if he censors his ultimately-published material based on live audience reactions. Does he ever take out something just because it made the audience obviously uncomfortable or shocked people? Or is he more likely to leave in those parts?
When I start asking those questions, I'm not really wondering about his process as much as about my own. Most writers have to decide how deep they want to dig, how much they want to risk.
He's funny, for one thing, and funny is great for live events. But he's also daring. He pushes things to the point where he risks going too far: honesty about the grosser side of human nature; jokes about some things we take seriously and fear intensely. He's not cruel; there's a generosity in his willingness to shine the spotlight on other authors, and to draw the biggest laughs at his own expense.
But it's that daring I'm thinking about today. That risk-taking, that boundary-pushing. I especially admire it at a live event, where you can hear the audience groan, gasp, or laugh, providing the kind of instant judgment that can be difficult for writers to take. He seems to read a lot of pre-published work, and I wonder if he censors his ultimately-published material based on live audience reactions. Does he ever take out something just because it made the audience obviously uncomfortable or shocked people? Or is he more likely to leave in those parts?
When I start asking those questions, I'm not really wondering about his process as much as about my own. Most writers have to decide how deep they want to dig, how much they want to risk.
October 21, 2012
Practical matters
Writers are generally not known for their great wealth, and today I thought I'd post some practical advice related to corner-cutting, money-wise. IMHO based on some experience (my own and others'), there are things you can skimp on and things it's best not to skimp on.
I've skimped on clothes (thrift store buying, wearing them as long as they're still whole even if they're out of date), hair cutting ("I can keep these split ends another few weeks"), and cars (owned none for most of my life, now technically own half of one, but usually walk or ride the train). My husband is addicted to coupons and strategic, deal-maximizing food-shopping. I don't think any of that has harmed me, and some of it, like the walking, has probably done me some good.
But there are three things I'd advise people to take good care of, even if the costs in time, energy, attention, and money tempt them to cut corners:
Feet. For Pete's sake, get good shoes. No matter how cute the shoes look: if they're hard to walk in, forget them. Get sturdy comfortable shoes that you can walk in. Think arch support and, ideally, ankle support. Your feet will thank you twenty years down the road, and so will your back and knees.
Teeth. It's easier to get preventive cleanings, to brush and floss, than it is to get major dental work. Also, some dental infections can lead to serious health problems. Influenced by my relation to a former dental assistant, I've gone regularly to the dentist my entire adult life, and I think I've had fewer major procedures at my age than anyone else I know. Major dental work is painful and expensive: set yourself up to avoid it if you possibly can.
Eyes. You only get one pair. Make sure they're okay.
This has been your public service announcement for the day. ;-)
I've skimped on clothes (thrift store buying, wearing them as long as they're still whole even if they're out of date), hair cutting ("I can keep these split ends another few weeks"), and cars (owned none for most of my life, now technically own half of one, but usually walk or ride the train). My husband is addicted to coupons and strategic, deal-maximizing food-shopping. I don't think any of that has harmed me, and some of it, like the walking, has probably done me some good.
But there are three things I'd advise people to take good care of, even if the costs in time, energy, attention, and money tempt them to cut corners:
Feet. For Pete's sake, get good shoes. No matter how cute the shoes look: if they're hard to walk in, forget them. Get sturdy comfortable shoes that you can walk in. Think arch support and, ideally, ankle support. Your feet will thank you twenty years down the road, and so will your back and knees.
Teeth. It's easier to get preventive cleanings, to brush and floss, than it is to get major dental work. Also, some dental infections can lead to serious health problems. Influenced by my relation to a former dental assistant, I've gone regularly to the dentist my entire adult life, and I think I've had fewer major procedures at my age than anyone else I know. Major dental work is painful and expensive: set yourself up to avoid it if you possibly can.
Eyes. You only get one pair. Make sure they're okay.
This has been your public service announcement for the day. ;-)
