With each new contract, I seem to go into I-don't-believe-it mode. Old insecurities, I suppose. Even so, I never lose the wonderment that someone likes what I write. For, in an odd way, with every contract I doubt my writing abilities even more. Why is that?
A few days ago, a writer friend asked me to read a few of her chapters to double check the strength of her hero's motivation. I read her work in awe. The descriptions, the emotions, the comedic timing were a lesson...a lesson prompting me to go back and redo everything I'd written on my current WIP. I love it when that happens. You see I fear growing stagnant. I fear going backwards in skill--if that's possible. I love being surrounded by talent. Talent propels us to do better. To examine. To grow. To shine.
My grandson taught me a bit of that over the weekend. Ryan, who was born on my 50th birthday, is a scholar athlete. A high school wrestler who gets all A's, even though he's taking honors courses. Guitar is his new favorite instrument with his trumpet running a close second. He's been wrestling on a summer league. Few kids want to spend their vacations doing conditioners and drilling new moves...only those who are truly into the sport. Hard core. Talented. Skilled. Being around them has improved his moves on the mat, his concentration and his out-put.
He also claims it's bolstered his confidence. Gee, I could use a touch of that.
Ryan works out every day. I write every day. He sacrifices time with this friends to spend time doing drills on the mat, just as I sometimes miss out on lunch with the girls to finish a chapter. He runs through moves with other wrestlers, paying close attention to the movement of each muscle, while I read good authors to study what about their writing draws me in. We both want to grow, to improve, to excel. It's in our genes.
10 comments:
This is why I love you, V. Thank you for sharing this. You learned a lesson, and your sharing was a message I needed a reminder of. Thank you for being an inspiration. You see, for me, you're one of the ones I read and study. <3
We're so hard on ourselves, aren't we Joanne? No one is born a good writer, just as no one is born a good athlete. It takes work and practice and studying moves--or for us, elements of craft. Ryan watches wrestling tapes of moves and holds while we read authors we admire in hopes of learning something. Ryan walks off the mat, out of breath, shaking his head. "I grabbed his leg too high. I didn't get enough leverage." While I often walk away from my computer, near tears, shaking my head. "I'm not describing the emotion well enough. I just can't reach it. I'm not going deep enough." For all of us--athletes and writers--I think we need to accept that perfection is rarely attainable. Even so, we HAVE to keep trying to improve.
Your grandson is such a cutie! And I love your heroes. You are one of those writers I read and go, "Now, that's what I need to be doing!" And then I rush to the keyboard to rewrite my characters. Your writing inspires me to do better. Thanks.
Thanks, Lilly. You and Joanne both are so supportive. I'm thrilled you like my heroes. I worked in heavy metals--Mack Trucks, for one--for 25 years. I know how men think, talk, move and strut. Little pieces of those hundreds of men go into my heroes.
I agree with Lilly. I saw the picture of your grandson while scrolling and said, "who's that cutie-pie?"
What a neat lesson, V and from a very handsome young man! But rest assured, your writing is stronger with each contract, not worse. :) But it's always good to keep learning. ;)
It's amazing to me what my kids teach me every day. Sometimes I just shake my head and wonder where in the heck they found the answer to so many life questions...while here's me, still floundering to find my way. Hat's off to Ryan for showing us all a shining example of what it means to follow through on commitment. Kudos!
Thanks, Angela. He is a cutie in so many ways. He loves math and got permission from the head of the math department to take 3 classes in his freshman year: Algebra II, Pre-Calculus and math for Physics.
There's a lot to learn, isn't there, Calisa? Some days I feel so inadequate.
Ryan would blush and shake his head at all these kind remarks about him. He's grandma's boy. LOL You're a wise mother to be open to the lessons your children have for you. We don't give them enough credit sometimes.
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