When Mr. Eisenhower and I were dress-
alikes, there was a traditional group of miseries in the Army called "The Daily Dozen." These were calisthenics intended to bring raw soldiers into a proper condition of fitness and happiness. They were called High Jumper, Bend and Reach, Squat Thrust, Rowing Exercise, Bottoms Up, Squat Bender, Push-Up, Side Bender, Body Twist, Squat Jumper, Trunk Twister, Stationary Run and Eight-Count Push-Up. I leave it to the reader to imagine what each entailed. (Don't try this at home.)       
    
        We new recruits would learn to do the first exercise on the first day and then add the others on succeeding days. When we were felt to be ready (not when we felt we were ready, now) we went to two repetitions of each. On each succeeding week we added another. In three months we who survived could do a dozen repetitions of the entire set and were, therefore, trained (and, therefore, happy.) After that, we maintained our superb condition (and happiness) by continuing the process.
        Those of us who have a tendency to flab in our writing-muscles might consider a "daily dozen" of exercises also. Just as the ones we did in the Army were for general conditioning and not for specific tasks, the ones I propose here are also for conditioning. If, fortuitously, some ancillary good is done, well, that's not forbidden.
        Okay. Here are the exercises that I use when inactivity (blockage or non-acceptance) starts to make my brain-mush flabby. I try to do at least one every two or three days. To nag me, I keep the list posted on the story board above my desk.
  
Okay, my list:
  
        1. Write a complete set of instructions for
            some familiar household chore, such as
            loading a dishwasher or getting bug-guts
            off the ceiling. It should give the untrained
            operator enough information so that he
            can perform the chore without supervision.
  
       2. Select a familiar children's story, such as
           the one of the Three Little Pigs, and write it
           as a news item for a newspaper. Yeah, with
           adult language, even.
    
        3. Read stories you don't like and identify the
            passages that you like least. Try to decide
            why these are not agreeable. It might be

             revelatory to do the same with one of your
            own stories.
   
         4. Tighten up one of your own (accepted?)
            stories by a quarter without losing the plot.
            Continue to see how far you can go.
  
        5. When you can do this without bending
            your knees, do the same with a story by an
            established writer.
    
        6. Write a page or so of one your stories from
            memory. Compare it with the original and
            judge whether the new version is weaker or
            stronger.
  
        7. Begin writing a story in a genre you don't
            like. If it begins to roll well, you might
           choose to complete it and submit it to the
           market.
   
        8. In one of your stories, change as many
            words as you can to their synonyms.
            Compare it with the original to judge
            whether the new version is weaker or
            stronger.
  
        9. Write an ending page to an imaginary
            (non-existent) story.
  
      10. If you have a suitable appliance, record
            one of your stories, then listen critically
            to the playback.
  
      11. Change one of your stories to a different
            venue or time period.
  
      12. Re-write one of your stories leaving out one of the main characters while retaining the sense and plot. Or do the same by changing the genders of the main characters.
  
        If you are one of those poor sods who fall into an occasional period of "writer's block," you might use one of these exercises to keep the wheels turning.
        Periodically, review the results of the exercises. There might be good stuff in there. In fact, I have gotten at least one good story out of each one. If nothing comes of it except a more buff write-bod, at least you'll look good at next November's WRITDUMCOM. See you there.
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