Okay, so I'm not a huge sports fan when it comes to watching and following football or baseball or soccer. But I love watching sports. I love watching athletes in their payoff moment. This is something I talked with the teens about a few weeks ago.
The payoff for all the workouts, all the hours on the track and in the pool, all the pain, is coming. There will be tragedies and injuries, but there will also be huge moments of triumph. Gold medals will be won.
And I want to see it all. Watching an athlete achieve something they've been working for for years always moves me to tears.
It's the same for writing. Not everyone knows the hours spent behind a screen, in the cubicle at the library, the endurance of critiques and revisions. But I do. And when that book comes out?
Major payoff moment.
So yes, the Olympics remind me so much of writing. If only I had the body of a swimmer. Ha!
What do you liken to writing? Have you been watching the Olympic trials?
Be sure to check out I Like These Books for a guest post regarding SURRENDER today.
Watched some of the swimming trials. Always enjoy the Olympics.
ReplyDeleteI love the Olympics!!! I can hardly wait. Gymnastics is my favorite sport so of course I was glued to the TV when those trials were on! I also saw some of the swimming (the daughter of my mom's cousin is in her 3rd Olympics for swimming: 4-time Olympic silver medalist Kara Lynn Joyce) and the track and field. Sports are A LOT like writing! All the hard work and practice, the pain, sweat, and tears, the disappointments, the triumphs, the teamwork...
ReplyDeleteGreat analogy! I think writing is like running a marathon. It's exciting and intimidating at first. You get all pumped up and then you hit the wall and feel exhausted. But when you reach the finish line, you are so proud of yourself and you know it was all worth it.
ReplyDeleteMy wife is an Olympics fanatic, so I know our TV's will have some kind of competition on just about 24/7 during them. For me, its an excellent time to write since there won't be anything else on TV. What I enjoy are the stories behind the competition. :)
ReplyDeleteMy fam makes fun of me for crying when the athletes cry on the podiums. Sympathetic criers, unite!
ReplyDeleteHmm...what I liken to writing...trying to de-frizz your hair in summer. You can only mess with it so much before you've gotta just bite the bullet and go out in public. :-)
I'm a big sports fan and I LOVE the Olympics! Can't wait. My fave sport is tennis so I'm watching Wimbledon as I type. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat comparison - so much of our work is behind the scenes!
Writing = Ironman Triatholon. Because finishing that manuscript is only the beginning of the journey! And also, Olympic trials, yes! We love the swimming and gymnastics. And track and field - it's amazing how fast those people are!
ReplyDeleteI totally watch them and the trials if I'm available. I am completely addicted to the Olympics every two years (winter too - no prejudice here).
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love the Olympics. I'm so sad I won't be able to watch them. We don't have satellite,cable or regular TV, only netflix. Sob.
ReplyDeleteI like writing because it is the most honest, from the gut, use all my resources that I do. It's as real as I know how to get. I've seen some of the volley ball trials and some biking. I just happened to be where they were on. I LOVE the summer Olympics though.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge hockey fan, so I always find Stanley Cup victories motivational. Someday I'll lift the Stanley Cup. . . Metaphorically. I'll probably end up lifting my book or something. You can't eat cereal out of a book, but still. ;) It's true though, athletes are inspirational.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe the Olympics is finally in the UK and I'm in America! I adore watching tennis the most. Love Wimbledon (in fact, wrote my blog about a terrible day out there). Not sure if I would compare my pathetic discipline of writing to an athlete's iron one though LOL
ReplyDeleteI cut off my directv so I only watch what I rent these days. Last thing was the very first episode of Criminal Minds.
ReplyDeleteYou're right though. Those athletes train endlessly and only a few ever make it to the games.
How many people do you know who dream that "Someday, I'd like to be a professional athlete"? Now, how many people do you know who dream about "Someday, I'd like to write a book?" If you're like me, almost everyone I meet express a desire to write. So, you may not have the body of a swimmer, but you have the mind of a writer.
ReplyDeleteGood post. The Olympics inspire me as well. They make it look so effortless. Wow.
I should be watching more Olympic Trials. I love The Olympics. It is a lot like being an author and waiting for the big payoff moment.
ReplyDeleteYeah. I'm built for comfort, not for speed. Love this comparison, Elana.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. I love watching moments of triumph, no matter what the sport. And when I workout, I listen to songs that reflect those upcoming moments of triumph--the ones I'm waiting to experience myself.
ReplyDeleteNot going to lie. Those songs keep me going sometimes, because they remind me that my challenges aren't so different from those experienced by others, and that I, too, can reach my goal if I keep going.
So I do. That is all.
June was definitely a busy month for you. A 40-stop blog tour is quite impressive!
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