Do you agree with that?
I had to think about it for a while to decide whether I did. Finally I decided that my belief is this:
Routine can set you up for success.
For example:
A basketball player who routinely practices foul shots has a greater chance at making them (success).
A musician who practices a song over and over again has a better chance of performing it well in front of an audience (success).
An actress who rehearses is better prepared than one doing a cold reading.
A writer who writes regularly (even if it's in twice a month writing binges) has a better chance of finishing a project.
BUT:
The basketball player can still miss the shot.
The musician can hit a wrong note.
An actress can forget a line.
A writer can write a story that never sees the light of day.
I train for half-marathons. I've completed three. I'm tortoises-pass-me, slow. Yet the routine of training, which I plan out in a calendar MONTHS ahead of time, pushing myself to go slightly farther each week, sets me up for success. It allows me to cross the finish line.
Sometimes I feel like I'm doing the same with my writing. Slogging along, week after week, until I reach "The End" and then I start it up again...hoping that this time I'll be a little bit faster, a little bit stronger, a little bit better. I plan that out too, MONTHS or a YEAR ahead of time, which helps me to say on track day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month.
What do you think? Do you have a routine you follow to increase your chances of success? Do you have any tips you can share?
My tip is: EMBRACE YOUR CALENDAR! (but not literally because that could give you a paper cut)
Just an FYI, next week I’m releasing THE HITWOMAN GETS LUCKY. The
novella will be free for a limited time, so be sure to visit http://jblynn.com to find out all the details and
download your copy.
