[stylist] Short article=-=- What it Takes to Become a Master Writer

[Robert Leslie Newman]

STYLIST members- this was emailed to me and it struck a cord in my writers
instrument.

What It Takes to Become a Master Writer 
            This is a guest post by Mary DeMuth. She is an author, speaker
and book mentor with seven published books and several more on the way. Mary
also mentors writers on her Wanna Be Published blog. She is also active on
Twitter.

            As a writer who loves the craft, I look for clues everywhere to
improve. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, he elaborates on the
importance of sustained hard work as a condition for success and mastery. 



            A study orchestrated by K. Anders Ericsson who looked at musical
prodigies found the common denominator for mastery and success: 10,000 hours
of practice. “The emerging picture from such studies,” says neurologist
Daniel Levitin, “is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to
achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world class expert—in
anything.”

            Think about that for a moment.

            If you work hard at something for twenty hours a week, in ten
years, you’ll have mastered it. And yet, when I teach and evaluate
manuscripts at writers conferences, it seems very few understand this or
embrace this.

            When I share my publication story, that I spent ten years
writing in obscurity, folks inevitably want me to share the “fun part” when
I met my agent at a conference and my success seemed to blossom overnight.
So many want to know the secret of instant publishing success. 

            Those who write novels ask me how to deepen characterization, or
create a character out of a setting, or evoke mood, or widen suspense. I
usually can’t answer that. Why? Because most of what I write now is
instinctive, born from years of experimentation and failure. It’s something
I cannot teach. It’s something an author must do on their own behind a desk,
in quiet places where rewards of publication seem far off.

            In evaluating nonfiction and fiction pieces, I see the
disparity. Some naïve writers think they can bank on their
friend/parents/kids’ over-the-top praise, believing themselves to be an
instant prodigy. Or they’ll invoke God’s name, saying He told them to write.
And yet some of these “geniuses” won’t receive critique. Some are unwilling
to count the cost by practicing BOC (butt on chair).

            While it is true that some publishing sensations happen
overnight, it is more true that most authors spend years and years toiling
over craft, trying techniques and failing, submitting to smaller entities
and suffering from perennial “rejectionitis.” That’s the reality.

            With all that as the backdrop, here is a checklist I’ve created
to determine if you’re the type of person who will invest 10,000 hours to
become a master writer:

            1.      I am willing to write unpublished words.

            2.      I am thankful when a writer farther along the journey
offers critique.

            3.      I understand that honing my voice is not merely a
weekend exercise, but a decade-long fight.

            4.      I am developing thick skin with each rejection, while
maintaining a tender heart. (I realize that rejection can make me bitter and
entitled.)

            5.      I see obstacles to my publishing journey as hurdles to
jump over, not walls to stop me.

            6.      Folks who describe me use the words tenacious,
dedicated, and disciplined. I am a lifelong learner of the craft.

            7.      I set word count goals or production goals each week.
Then I meet them early no matter what.

            8.      In the beginning of my journey, I write pieces for free,
understanding the importance of apprenticeship.

            9.      I am passionate about helping others in their writing
journeys even if it means they surpass me. Because when I teach, I learn.
And when others succeed, I rejoice because I’m expanding my writing ministry
beyond myself.

            10.  I understand the beauty of God’s sovereignty in the midst
of the journey. He gives and takes away. Blessed be His name, no matter what
happens—published or not.

            How did you do? Are you a ten? Are you willing to put in 10,000
hours to master your writing? 

            This journey is not for the casual. It’s a disciplined way of
life. This is one reason I’m so thankful my first book didn’t catapult me to
success. I believe God kept me slow-going to prepare me for each new
project, for each new height.

            I’m still not a well-known author, but I do believe that each
book I write is better than the last, perhaps because I’m working on my
twenty-thousandth hour.

            Question: Are you willing to make the investment necessary to
become successful?


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            What It Takes to Become a Master Writer

            Related posts:

            1.      The Sovereignty of Readers

            2.      7 Ways to Build Your Author Brand Online

            3.      How Can You Get Published If You Don’t Have a Platform?

            4.      How NOT to Pitch Your Book Proposal

            5.      The Importance of Building Your Platform





Robert Leslie Newman 
Email- newmanrl at cox.net
THOUGHT PROVOKER Website- 
Http://www.thoughtprovoker.info