Maybe I was bored. Maybe I needed to work on a tan. Or maybe I wanted to fulfill one of my bucket list items. Whatever the reason, I agreed to accompany my husband to the golf course yesterday afternoon.
The deal was this: I'd go if I could drive the golf cart. I'd never driven one before and figured it would be fun. After a quick lesson on the brake, (that's about all one needs to know), I took off. But it wasn't long before I tired of playing chaffeur and decided he made hitting the ball look really easy.
I could do that, I thought.
Afterall, I took golf in college thirty-some years ago. How hard is it really? Old men and women do it everyday.
I'll tell you, my divet made a crater look tiny. It isn't so easy to connect a little white ball with an iron.
When you first started writing, didn't you think it would be easy to get publsihed? How many times did you think all you had to do was jot something down on paper, send it in and the publisher would love it? (I'll raise my hand.)
Golfers who become pros study the game of golf. They spend years practicing their skill. They take lessons, they watch others, they read about the game. And then only the very best ever make it to the Golf Channel.
I was reminded about something yesterday out there on the ninth hole. If I want to get good at something, I need to practice. Alot.
I don't care about learning to hit a golf ball--but I do care about my writing. I care enough to try to be the very best. I hope this week finds you working hard to perfect your game!
15 comments:
That makes me feel better since I seem to practice quite a bit. Hope for a perfect game someday! (no not golf ;)
good thoughts, it does take work and practice. submitting and editing and then redoing it all over again. thanks for some food for thought.
I was a delusional moron when I wrote my first book. Okay, maybe that's mean, but come on! I don't know why I thought I'd be able to write a publishable book after zero training, when it took me five years of college and two years of work for my earlier career.
I'm right there with you! Practice. Study. Improve.
AMEN!!
Part of the joy of writing, I think, is the fact that there's always, always, always room for improvement. We'll never learn it all. And that means that every single project has the potential to be better than the last. Now that's exciting!
Great analogy! Guess I had better get busy practicing my writing!
Well said, Terri. I was definitely raising my hand with you there on the first question. It's not much fun for me to look back and see how I used to write (ewww) but it is nice to see the progress. I hope I keep learning and improving!
Great point. I can associate with both..writing and golf. I attempted to play nine holes of golf with my (ex)husband and children one day. Let's just say; my daughter and I are pros at driving a golf cart now. Just the same with my writing. I thought it was going to be just like you said. But after reading some of the critiques I received when I boldly posted my writing on a site; I enrolled in a 2 year online writing course. I must admit, it is a lot harder than I once thought. But when I finally was rewarded for one of my pieces it was so worth the studying. I never stop learning and I never stop trying to learn. When I hit a block with writing, I turn to the Internet and search new ways to learn about the craft. The day you stop learning is the day you take your last breath.
I tried golf, twice. It wasn't pretty and no amount of practice is going to make it better (though I do like driving the cart). I also thought writing would be easy. Boy, was I sadly mistaken. But, it hasn't detered me and even after 10 years I enjoy working at it and absorbing as much knowledge of the craft as I can.
Our associate pastor gave a sermon with a golf analogy yesterday. There is a lot of great spiritual lessons to be learned from golf. Unfortunatly, it also makes you say bad words! But if you follow the rule book (bible) and know where you are aiming (at God's will) and practice the right swing, you'll do well. Lots of prayer doesn't hurt either.
When I do sign language specials, a lot of behind-the-scenes practice goes into one 3-minute piece. Otherwise, the special isn't so special.
Anything done with excellence requires time and effort. I want my writing to honor the Lord, so I study and stretch myself to the limits.
Thanks for a great example.
Blessings,
Susan :)
I think I thought it would be easy when I first started to write - but that was in the 6th grade, so I smartened up pretty quick.
Terri, I can't even imagine being published and the roads that one needs to pursue to become so.
Lovingy,
Yolanda
Oh yes, LOL! I saw that LI Historical was opening and I though, sure, no problem. I can write a historical romance.
Snort!!!!
God humbled me fairly quickly.
So, who did you submit to at LI?
This is so true. For about an entire year I played every week and I actually started to get prety good. Then my partner got cancer and all that stopped. My game went from good to very bad in a short while. I am just not getting it better. However I will toss in one piece of information about my game and it applies to writing as well.
During the down time, I took a good look at the areas where I knew I needed improvement. I concentrated in those areas and now my game is better than ever. I may never be Tiger but I am at least a cat on the prowl, lol
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