Flag on the Play, Pre-Season Every Day
by Kimberley Allen McNamara
Newsflash. It’s August and it’s almost Labor Day. This signals to many that Summer is about to end and the pre-season for college football, soccer, field hockey and volley ball and, of course, the NFL has begun. Pre-season means that teams get a chance to work out the kinks in their formations, test the Bench, and for the new players a chance to get to know their teammates. Ah, Pre-season. What a concept!
Writers don’t get a pre-season, every day is pre-season. Every time we write it’s our attempt to work out the kinks, to move the writing forward, and to make the writing better. Each day, every day, we practice or attempt to practice like an athlete without ever knowing when the game will be held but trusting that when it is our pieces will be ready. And when we think we are ready, we submit our pieces to journals, agents, and readers and wait for feedback. But this can become tiring.
Sometimes we need a coach on the sidelines to push us forward or at least give us a playbook with some inspiration. At ActsofRevision.com we’ve looked at some pitfalls writers face when trying to rally and we have some plays for you to run.
The Play Book
Should you write that opening chapter one more time? Remember, when the game starts, don’t hold back: Stop, the Book You Save May Be Your Own
Or changing your mind about that submission? It’s like deciding not to do your practice drills, here’s a little reminder: Unsubmit…Unacceptabe!
Or may be just a bit more Research is needed? Even too much water can throw your electrolytes off. Beware the Rabbit Hole
Or when it seems all the odds are stacked against you? Consider this pep talk: The Mendoza Line (yes, it may be another sport - Baseball- but the pep talk resonates and speaks volumes).
Or maybe, like me, you’ve been sucked into a vortex of binge watching/reading/listening (do you sense a pattern here), emphasis on binging which equates to procrastination. My justifications: it’s in the name of Craft! I’m following an arch! I’m studying the time-line! These are cardboard linebackers, I’m hiding behind. A ref needs to call a penalty and tell me I’m wasting time in the hazy lazy days of summer. Luckily, September is coming and September is my signal for accountability: When September Starts…
Yes, someone needs to make the call, blow the whistle, throw the flag… may as well be me. Reprimand noted. Now, it’s time to play ball! Or at least pound a keyboard, scrawl in a notebook…#amwriting #preseason #time #playball #summer
