A theory ....
Recently I've heard football commentators bemoaning the fact that really great footballers come from the streets, they play for the love of it, and they practise endlessly, discovering their flair through the long hours of ball against the wall and then with others, and the commentator was moaning that there was less and less of that magic happening with the professionalisation of the training process, the corporate approach. Writing doesn't physically hurt as much as football, especially at its worst (I have had my moments of - indoor soccer, muscle pulled or god forbid getting in the way of a fast moving ball - agony, so I know what I'm talking about here), but I guess there could be some parallels.
Writing for a market is a craft and a skill, but writing for the joy of it, is surely more exciting/ intoxicating, more likely to result in something unique... Trying to write for the right balance of motivations is tricky.
You have to think about your own game first, play as if it's the world cup every time, even when it's just a kickabout among friends, don't be crying on the pitch for a genuine tackle, or let a wide prevent you from shooting again, don't spend more time watching others and reading the analysis of other games than you spend honing your own skills, but do learn from others when you can. Just think about the moment at hand, you're only as good as your last sentance, well placed word, whatever..... Stop reading this, this instant and feckin get on with it!!!!
10 comments:
Great post and some equally sound advise. So I stopped and got on with it!
To continue the metaphor, I'm feeling a little Lampardy at the moment...all frustrated and resultless...
Thanks Gwei - glad you enjoyed.
Yes Oub - as Mr Acapello said today - the whole team was just a bit tired, I can identify with that...
Wise words.
ah thanks Argent
coming back to the point about football players being tired - that's why they lie down on the grass so often too isn't it? the nice soft bedlike grass...
As kids we used to throw two jumpers down and play three sonnets and in. Occasionally we'd organise a full-blown epic poem contest against the neighbouring village.
Of course Peter, I should've directed people over to your blog for a real demo of how writing and soccer can combine properly.
Kids writing and poetry can get pretty rough though can't it? without a competition judge or editor around to keep things clean!
Amen to that, all of it. The parallels are there and not forced at all. Excellent.
Haven't I seen that sports slogan, "Just Do It"? Amen.
Thanks Dave, probably could've gone even further, but ironically I got lazy in the midst of all that motivational talk.
Thanks Karen, yes, you have - wouldn't it be fun if poets had logos like the swoosh? (or maybe not) ;-)
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