Photo courtesy Associated Press
Have you been watching any of the Winter Olympics in Sochi? I love how every four years we all become experts on curling and the biathlon and the luge as we analyze every athlete on our television screens. The spectacle of the opening ceremonies, the political implications at play between different countries, the rare chance that these men and women have to highlight the sports they love – all of it makes for fascinating viewing. But beyond just enjoying these Games for the sake of the competition, I started thinking about comparisons with the world of writing and publishing.
Isn’t crafting the perfect sentence somewhat like pairs figure skating? There is a flow to the language, with all of the pieces working together to create a moment of art. If you read the words out loud, the cadence rises and falls like waves.
There are some definite comparisons between participating in the skeleton and your first attempt at self-publishing. You start down that hill head first, putting everything on the line with great risk of rejection. Your writing is an extension of who you are, and to put it out there for an audience to review makes you vulnerable.
Maybe the writing process is like cross country skiing. You spend a lot of time by yourself and sometimes the scenery seems repetitive but you also get to experience exhilarating moments of real beauty. Or the biathlon, when you move along without much seeming to happen until suddenly you get to stop and take a shot at a book signing or meeting with a publishing house or a writing contest.
It could be that I’m stretching analogies a bit here, but it’s fun to brainstorm. So what do my fellow writers out there think? Have you watched a sport at the Olympics this year that you can relate to the making and marketing of your craft?
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Please join me:
Author Jennifer Chase 
I love your analogies. I often tell my students that their sentences should have a rhythm. There should be a flow to every sentence. This post especially rang true for me since I am beginning my own self-publishing journey. Thank you for your words.
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Thank you so much for stopping by — I wish you the best of luck with your self-publishing adventure 🙂
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There is also the comparison that writers strive for years to improve their craft but have lack luster sales. It’s frustrating because they have fans who say they love their stories. Then out of nowhere they are on the best sellers list. Just like Alpine skier Andrew Weibreicht who has been racing the circuit for years and wasn’t a metal contender. But he went on to win silver in the Super G.
Maybe someday Jennifer Chase will be on a household name.
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Thanks Dana! 🙂
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