I lied. We all have. (We being the people who have the audacity to tell you how to be writers.)
We’ve been saying if you keep writing, you will get published. Rule one is write! Or butt in chair! Whatever your euphemism, that’s how to get it done. And it is true that if you don’t write, you can’t be a writer.
But.
If you just sit and write, even if you do it every day, you are guaranteed nothing. Because if you don’t put forth effort, and strive to learn and get better, you will amount to diddly.
I’m seeing this right now in both running and kung fu. And you know how I like my sports metaphors. Yes, I’ve been going to kung fu for a year and a half now, after an 8 year break (still shocks and shames me to say that.) I’ve shown up to class. I’ve “learned” things. But last week I realized I wasn’t putting forth enough effort- I was just showing up- and right now I’m at the level where I have to put forth more effort or I won’t improve and move to the next belt level (DING- martial arts, the original RPG.)
I’ve been running regularly for 2 weeks now, about 4-5 days a week. Logged 14 miles in June (only ran in the last two weeks) which is a personal record for me. But still. When I run, I show up. I plod along. I don’t even get terribly out of breath or that burning exercise feeling in my legs, I just get sweaty and tired. Somewhere in my mind I’m thinking, “This will get easier if I just keep moving.” Am I right? Well, a little. Am I improving? Not really.
I would really like to say that in writing this week, I’ve done more than that. I’ve written close to 8k words. Missed writing yesterday due to other work (Kids, a successful kickstarter campaign will kick your butt with reward fulfillment. Just a warning.) so will have to double up today. I would like to think I’m doing more than just showing up with these words. But I am not entirely sure.
Luckily, writing has an editing process, which martial arts and running do not. 
In my sports, I have to step up my training if I want to improve. This will take a mental shift I don’t know if I’m ready for, but I have to be ready, won’t I?
And in your writing, perhaps you need a mental shift to take it more seriously to really get better.
Share and Enjoy!
5 Responses to Showing up won’t cut it
Subscribe!
ISBW Endorsed Programs
New from the Murverse- ISBW Special #46 – Stonecoast Writer’s Residency January 31, 2012
- ISBW #230 – Feedback January 30, 2012
- Short Story Alert- Gimme Shelter January 27, 2012
As long as we’re using kung fu references, Bruce Lee once said, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect.”
Sounds like he would agree with you on this one, Mur.
This is so true. Sometimes we get in a slump and don’t move forward.
What I found from when I was in great shape with running was that I reached a point where I could run my mile in the time I had without much effort. I had to start increasing my pace and running a different course to get myself back to where I was improving. There are plateaus in every possible skill and sometimes it can be hard to break through. Luckily for us, anything short of olympic running can be improved by just running faster. I think writing is a lot harder to improve, since we can be doing things we are unaware of that hold back our writing quality. I’m pretty much at 100% whenever I write, but sometimes it feels like i’m putting out crap. Maybe because it isn’t as intuitive as using our legs?
Yes! Excellent post. The idea that it is enough to just show up, is one I had deal when I was working in schools. I think in school we are trained to believe that showing up and doing minimal work is enough, and for the most part in school it is enough, but in life and success it certainly isn’t. Drive, hard work, passion, enthusiasm… all these other things matter too. You can’t be passive and grow.
[...] with a coherant reason, but I -feel- like “The Art of Giving Up” from DYSKE and “Showing Up Won’t Cut It” by Mur Lafferty go together somehow. Mur is absolutely right that growth is preceded by [...]