Comments on: Guest Post: Kristin Cashore on the Flying Trapeze

By: alaska

alaska — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 07:33:48 +0000

awesome post. it is fascinating what makes us tick and trust – and inherently not trust. i think with animals it’s particularly obvious – i volunteer at our county SPCA, and working with rescue horses that even seriously underweight are way bigger than you – and realizing that you have to trust the horses, and the horse has to grow to trust you. some of them arrive so abused and distrustful that they are unable to be rehabilitated, and it’s very sad to see.

and then there are people like my sister who trust too much and get suckered all the time.

i would maybe try the trapezee (even though falling is my second biggest fear – i am all about exposure therapy!) except my arm muscles are super weak. i don’t think i could hold on even swinging on the bar!

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:49:09 +0000

Kristin: OOOOH. That is a GOOD one. But did they replay it for you over and over and over on the TiVo?

By: Pam

Pam — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:09:12 +0000

I wanted to comment on Kristin’s post on her own blogger account the other day. I fly at TSNY Beantown too! This past Monday, I was sitting with Theresa, a ball of nerves knowing I’d have to try to catch my set straddle again. I’d already failed to catch the set heels on 3 tries and the set straddle twice. In fact, I HIT my catcher (Jon) in the neck with my hand the last time I tried to catch the darn straddle. I was mortified! So I mentioned all this to Theresa, who told me that one of her students had a great blog and she quoted the bit explaining Steve’s reaction to Kristin hitting him! (Something like “It’s okay because your hitting me in the face slowed down your momentum thus allowing me to catch you.”) I was relieved to hear that I was not alone!

So Kristin, you are also not alone in this trapeze learning curve! I am happy to say, that on Monday as I flew without contacts or glasses for the first time (hazy!) I managed to catch both my whip and my split. Success! I yelled “YAY” as Jon swung me toward the apron.

Also… an 11 year old girl was in my class. Formerly, a level 8 gymnast (out of 10!). She made the astute comment “Trapeze is all about trust. In gymnastics, it’s just you out there.”

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!

By: kristin cashore

kristin cashore — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:00:26 +0000

Oh, that makes sense about horses!

Rebecca, I’ve punched the catcher in the face twice, so I wouldn’t worry too much. And one time — !! — I forgot what “final” meant in the set straddle whip and thought it meant, “AHA! We’re done now, jump off!” and sprang into the air ON THE BACKSWING. I had a lovely red mark on my head after that, from polishing the net with my head… And MAN did I feel stupid….

By: Leanne

Leanne — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:02:42 +0000

Kristin Cashore, I justed wanted to let you know that I follow your blog and think it is hilarious and interesting. I was fascinated by the trapeze photos. I had no idea people could just take lessons like that. So I planned my fifth anniversary trip to include a 6 hour drive to Austin just to take lessons (my husband was not thrilled). I am now completely hooked. I love the trapeze and thank you for sharing it with your readers! If you want to see the videos of my first catch and splits it is at Cheekylea.blogspot.com.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:48:29 +0000

Kristin: My problem is actually that I am TOO eager looking for the catcher. Or maybe too eager about letting go. Because I may have, um, let go too early once and smashed into him. Yeah. That was embarrassing. LOLZ. Also, I don’t BELIEVE YOU when you say I am better at the split than you are. I don’t think it’s possible to be as bad at the split as I am. Oddly enough, I seem to do better with blind catches.

By: Lyn

Lyn — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:31:03 +0000

I love this post! I’ve tweeted it because the trust metaphor is so vivid. You’ve also made me curious about flying on a trapeze. Looks incredibly cool.

By: dirtywhitecandy

dirtywhitecandy — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:18:34 +0000

I love your trapeze stories!I had a go on one once in a one-day circus skills course. I couldn’t do anything beyond hang there like wet washing, and even that hurt! I decided I’d stick to riding horses – and here your point about trust rings a bell. You have to be bold in your heart or the horse will not go with you because it won’t trust you. I often find the mind-games I have to play on myself to ride my horse well are curiously useful in writing.
Keep flying!

By: Thea

Thea — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:30:50 +0000

Wow. You know what, Kristin? I’ve been having trouble with trust and being brave with my writing this whole week. Like you said, I’ve been depressed about the pile of crap I’ve written and don’t quite know what to do with. It’s quite amazing and ironic that this post came out exactly half way through my first truly awful week of writing. That’s so much.

Oh, and don’t give up on Bitterblue. I check your blog all the time just waiting to see if the next post will have those magical words “I finished writing Bitterblue!” And I’m sure that day will come soon. Although I’m wondering how soon? Answer please? Hehe. And also, don’t give up on the trapeze. Looks like your doing great.

Your faithful reader (and soon to be [hopefully] fellow author), Thea <3

Psalm 143:8

By: kristin cashore

kristin cashore — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:57:01 +0000

I cannot overstate how important it is not to let those discouraging voices stop you from writing, if writing is what you really want to do. One thing that helps me is to remember that the voices are normal. I’ll have weeks during which every day, I’m fighting with the voices that tell me I’m wasting my time. But that’s normal; it’s just part of writing. And learning to KEEP WRITING, even when you feel like it’s a waste of time, is part of writing. It’s the biggest (and ultimately the most satisfying) victory: keeping going even though everyone (in your own head ^_^) is telling you you’re not good enough!

If it’s any comfort to anyone to hear that all of my books were/are written with me, at times, hanging onto only the tiniest little seed of faith — well, they were.

Artemis! *waves wildly* I’ve missed your comments since I turned off comments! DON’T GIVE UP!!!

By: Fiona

Fiona — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:40:29 +0000

Thanks for for reassuring my faith in my own writing, and saying it’s okay to take a risk. Sometimes I get worried that scenes are too risky, or that writing will be too hard . . . Now I might just have the courage to keep writing and editing my first novel. You and Justine are both my pals THANK YOU.

PS. Trapezing sounds awesome! I wish I could try it, even though I did abseilling and was epically frightened, but I took a risk – ! – and managed to get down safely.

By: Autumn

Autumn — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:24:23 +0000

Thank you so much, Kristin. I’ve been blocked for over six months, which is a horrible state for a writer who gets paid for it to be in. I’ve shifted to full-time editing, my other main gig, but I miss writing fiercely and every day I can’t do something is another day of depression that compounds the problem. Your post made me cry (in a good way!) and made me think that maybe I’ve got something left inside me somewhere.

By: Diana Peterfreund

Diana Peterfreund — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:28:54 +0000

Justine, you are totally my pal.

By: A. Grey

A. Grey — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:26:54 +0000

Kristin, you are the cat’s potatoes, just so you know. That is a post I really needed to read because at the moment I’ve got a growing stack of rejections and a dwindling reserve of hope and belief. My reserve is just a bit bigger now, thanks to you.

I am determined to take trapeze lessons! It’s a very good metaphor for writing. No matter how great a writer you are, you can only land so many of your tricks without someone there to catch you because, well, you HAVE to have more than just yourself to complete some of the tricks. Just like writing.

By: Alexa

Alexa — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:55:18 +0000

I loved this post and it was great to read, especially this morning. You almost have me wanting to ring up TSNY, but I think I’ll take a risk with the writing first.

Thanks

By: kristin cashore

kristin cashore — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:03:58 +0000

Hi everyone! Brynne: no, total coincidence. I’ve got a few Cat Stevens albums, but somehow managed NOT to know that he’d written a song called “Bitterblue” until it was much too late. Bitterblue was a character in Graceling, so there’s no changing it now!

Rebecca, guaranteed, you’re better at splits than I am. Good luck with your straddle whip. Don’t forget to look for the catcher!

Kasey, the pile of crap: definitely fixable. You have to keep believing it!

Sarah, I blush! Also, it might be less that you’re cowardly and more that I’m insane.

By: Sarah Rees Brennan

Sarah Rees Brennan — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:04:58 +0000

Kristin Cashore, here on Justine’s blog! I am dazzled: I have not been able to stop yapping about Fire since I read it.

… Not dazzled enough to try the trapeze, though. I stick firm by my policy of craven cowardice at all times.

By: Kasey

Kasey — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:26:11 +0000

Excellent job. 3 things i loved about this.
1) It was written by one of my new favorite authors ever.
2) It talked about writing and said that the pile of crap I wrote yesterday (or for me, a few hours ago) is fixable. Good to know because I was beginning to doubt that.
3)TRAPEZE!!! Earlier this year I had my first experience at a circus (I won 2 tickets to Cirque du Soleil). Having always loved the circus beyond reasonable belief, I was delighted when I won these tickets. After going to see the show I realized that the trapeze was my calling. I must take lessons someday. If only Worcester county was slightly closer to Boston (at least the part I live in). I do think I’ll buy a unicycle this summer…and learn to juggle. I need to start somewhere.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:46:17 +0000

I go to TSNY in New York whenever I can afford it, which is sadly not often, but OMFG YOU ARE MY NEW HERO BECAUSE YOU ARE A WRITER WHO ALSO TRAPEZES. I am working on a straddle whip right now. And a split. I suck at splits. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW HAPPY IT MAKES ME THAT YOU ARE A TRAPEZER. YAYYYYYY!!!! *dance of glee* Best blog post in the history of ever.

By: Brynne

Brynne — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:08:29 +0000

This is not exactly related to trapezes, but I’m curious: is the title Bitterblue a reference to the Cat Stevens song of the same name, by any chance? I ask only because I’m a Cat Stevens dork.