Monday, August 31, 2015

Game Time

Today I'm posting at the A to Z Challenge Blog and talking about keeping your blogging momentum on track. Also, don't forget that this Wednesday is the IWSG day to share our woes and triumphs. There will also be a very special announcement for the group on that day. Don't miss it!

We're a football loving family. Both my oldest sons played, the elder in college and now he coaches, and my youngest son played until his heart condition took him out of that sport and made him a runner. I don't watch sports on TV often but the men in the family do. My husband and I will go to most of the games my son is coaching so we get in lots of gridiron time.

As my son the coach often laments, the game requires more than talent, strength and speed, thought those things surely help. It's a big mental game, much like writing, requiring personal strength on many fronts. You have to have your head in the game. Let's talk about that in depth.

Scout the competition and have a game plan. Read books in the genre you write in. What works in them and why are they successful? See the entire field and know all the sub-categories of your genre of choice.

Adjust your plan if it's not working. The team that makes the best adjustments will win. Are you trying to write dark fiction because it's popular but you're not comfortable? Adjust. And make sure your game plan fits the talent you're working with. Do you write amusing characters really well? Then do that and don't try to be what you're not.

You have to play hard. No pain, no gain is kind of true for writing. Who hasn't felt like crying or throwing something when an editor wants just one more rewrite.

Don't live on past glories. Just because your last book did really well, it doesn't mean the next one will be easy to write or promote. Each new project is hard work.

Play for the love of the game. Don't write because you hope to see your name on a banner at the bookstore. You have to enjoy it or there's no reason to do it.

When the momentum is on your side, keep it rolling. Don't ease off because things are going well. Keep the intensity and write on.

If you get thrown for a loss or have a turnover, don't let it get you down. Get back up and into that writing chair and try again.

How was my motivational pre-game speech? Do you write for the love of it? Does each new project seem as much work as the one before? Are you ready for IWSG? Are you ready for some football?


21 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I'm motivated, that's for sure!
Football is the best thing about fall...

Ann Bennett said...

You've made some good points. It is a mental attitude game in the end. At this point, my writing is a hobby. Whether I publish anything or not, the boon to my mental fitness is great.

Maria Zannini said...

Sounds like a game plan for life too. :)

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Rah rah rah! Love the parts about not living on past glories and playing/writing for the love of it. :)

Can't wait to hear the IWSG news!

A Beer for the Shower said...

Adjustment is definitely the name of the game. It's sad when we go to writers' conferences and some writer is focusing on a story they've been trying to sell for 10 years with no luck. And yet they refuse to change anything about it, or start something new. You know what they say about the definition of insanity.

Pat Hatt said...

Adjustment is sure the right way to go. You motivated the cat, even if it wasn't needed were we are at haha

Jemi Fraser said...

Love the analogy!! Life has forced our family to make a lot of adjustments in the past couple of years - and we're still moving forward! :)

TBM said...

I do miss the NFL, but I'm learning lots about English football and rugby since moving to London.

Chrys Fey said...

I can't wait to find out what the IWSG news is. I am in suspense!

Writers adjust things all the time...plot, characters, sentences, etc. It's good to be able to adjust until you get things just right.

betty said...

I too am curious about the IWSG announcement. I think I am ready for a little football; I just can't believe we are almost in fall and that the season is rapidly approaching!

betty

cleemckenzie said...

Adjusting the non-working plan is so simple and so difficult. I'm working on that right now, so I really understand.

The big news from IWSG is that Gary and Penny are taking over all the Blog Hops for the rest of this year. (Just kidding!)

Christine Rains said...

Great speech! I definitely write for the love of it. I'm making stories in my head all the time when I'm not at the computer. :)

J E Oneil said...

I definitely write for the love of it! Mostly because I haven't sold anything yet... :P

mshatch said...

I write because I can't imagine not writing. And I can't wait for the Pumpkinfest!

Jo said...

Of course to me, it's American football. Not that I know anything about it anyway. Never been in to sports much. Although I used to play golf, I don't watch it on TV although hubby does a lot.

Susan Kane said...

Never quite understood American football, even tho I was born and raised here. Now soccer--that makes sense. We were in Switzerland last summer and watched every game, in German of course.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Thanks for the pre-game speech, Susan! Although I'm not a big football lover, I am definitely in need of these reminders. I'm on the tail end of some huge projects, and when I get done with them, I'm looking forward to checking the field and deciding on which project to work on next. I have four very different ones in mind, but I'll make the decision on which will come first based on my strengths and what game seems to be playing out well in the market. I will also choose the one I love, but since my ego always likes all of my ideas (even the terrible ones) that won't be a problem. It's when I get into the details of writing that I discover which idea isn't quite as love-able as the others. Ideas are always fresh, like the field before the game begins.

Patricia Stoltey said...

Believe it or not, I'm ready for some football. I watch regular season Broncos games as well as some of the Colorado State University events.

As for writing, it will come.

Tara Tyler said...

wow, must be fun to watch your son coach! one of my sons plays now in high school - football is great fun!
and i loved your analogy - practice, persevere and play on!!

Cate Masters said...

Excellent advice :)

Unknown said...

We love football and this is my first year doing fantasy league. Going to live games is just as fun