tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post1070511725110695668..comments2024-03-28T07:00:43.256-06:00Comments on Author Elana Johnson: A Word About GeniusElana Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877856005992028912noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-61800967266595271862012-10-23T00:16:30.902-06:002012-10-23T00:16:30.902-06:00This is an excellent post. I am about to release m...This is an excellent post. I am about to release my first novel, and have had difficulty debating a price. I feel like $0.99 is too cheap, but if I set it at $2.99, will people think, "Ha, debut novel for $2.99? Who does she think she is?"<br /><br />I completely agree that books are art, and should be paid for. It's astounding how much work goes into the whole process.<br /><a href="http://www.promstreet.com" rel="nofollow">cheap prom dresses</a><br /><a href="http://www.4utea.com" rel="nofollow">loose leaf tea</a><br />cheap prom dresseshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08123849360565368339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-61290599664531502532012-07-18T09:08:14.006-06:002012-07-18T09:08:14.006-06:00LOVED this thought that practice is the key to tru...LOVED this thought that practice is the key to true genius! Great post!Stacy Henriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03303383087338174942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-19797914363929975322012-07-17T18:50:54.097-06:002012-07-17T18:50:54.097-06:00I think the most important word here is meaningful...I think the most important word here is meaningful. There have been too many times when I failed to pay enough attention to it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16028635002644119824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-55324746192811524592012-07-17T10:47:20.086-06:002012-07-17T10:47:20.086-06:00It's hard to come to the realization that my f...It's hard to come to the realization that my first two books were "practice", but hey...it is what it is! :)DL Hammonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02007260062331783715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-55603467412527169062012-07-17T08:46:07.173-06:002012-07-17T08:46:07.173-06:00Great article, Elana! Couldn't agree more! Tha...Great article, Elana! Couldn't agree more! Thanks for sharing it! :DLiesel K. Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03860816358217211833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-52460669916034628672012-07-17T05:38:56.819-06:002012-07-17T05:38:56.819-06:00I tell kids I work with this ALL THE TIME. Some gr...I tell kids I work with this ALL THE TIME. Some great books that also talk about the power of practice...Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Talent Code, (can't think of his name off the top of my head).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447701441177564869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-23963168985571451952012-07-17T02:19:11.691-06:002012-07-17T02:19:11.691-06:00I can't agree with the part about genius being...I can't agree with the part about genius being made not born. I've met too many of them who were absolutely born with the genius. Yes, they then had to cultivate it to reach world class levels (I'm talking chess geniuses here), but they had the 'something special' in very obvious quantities immediately upon coming to the game, when they had had no training at all. I met Tal Shaked when he was 8 and hadn't learned to play chess yet, but everyone in the room could tell he was going to be a grandmaster...and he later won the world junior championship and did become a grandmaster. True genius is something you are born with, but many of these geniuses don't even know it because they don't stumble across the particular talent that they possess, or they do but they don't work at it enough to achieve what they could.Ted Crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-62951822364410986302012-07-16T20:25:54.995-06:002012-07-16T20:25:54.995-06:00Elana - Love this. I started playing piano when I ...Elana - Love this. I started playing piano when I was five. I don't play seriously anymore, I dabble, but my mom used to always say "practice makes perfect." She's got that right.RaShelle Workmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17582252557500502186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-36461374836953173222012-07-16T19:30:08.965-06:002012-07-16T19:30:08.965-06:00Hmmm...my practice is coming along okay, if you ca...Hmmm...my practice is coming along okay, if you can consider stumbling, falling, face-planting, crawling, rising, staggering to another fall and getting back up again...practice. And I have YEARS more to go to try to be considered a genius. Well, I'll enjoy myself along the way :-)Angela Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03324366495151363782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-83119732734287880172012-07-16T18:23:33.678-06:002012-07-16T18:23:33.678-06:00From Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers - "To be...From Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers - "To become a chess grandmaster also seems to take about ten years. (Only the legendary Bobby Fisher got to that elite level in less than that amount of time: it took him nine years.) And what’s ten years? Well, it’s roughly how long it takes to put in ten thousand hours of hard practice. Ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness.” — p. 41<br /><br />10,000 hours, baby... 10,000 hours!Christine Fonsecahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16986034666903054819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-57039374902799257442012-07-16T16:22:11.674-06:002012-07-16T16:22:11.674-06:00Agreed! And I totally needed this today! Thanks fo...Agreed! And I totally needed this today! Thanks for the inspiration and the reminder :)Leigh Covingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16377634002477171615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-61671814056667273802012-07-16T16:00:51.473-06:002012-07-16T16:00:51.473-06:00What a great post! Def practicing;) Good reminder ...What a great post! Def practicing;) Good reminder that putting in that time earns those stripes.Mart Ramirezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09492840883926331053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-5260598735165483592012-07-16T15:54:07.755-06:002012-07-16T15:54:07.755-06:00What?! I have to work at this!!! *bangs head again...What?! I have to work at this!!! *bangs head against desk* J/K, I actually found this blog post very inspiring--especially the part about Mozart, who is someone usually considered innately brilliant.Kathryn Purdiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-27617125893597754572012-07-16T14:05:27.171-06:002012-07-16T14:05:27.171-06:00You're right! No writer sits down and produces...You're right! No writer sits down and produces a best seller novel. They have to learn and practice the art. Same with anything we do in life. I'm SUPER good at making mac now but I had to practice it first.<br />So if you're half way there, by the time you arrive, you'll be on the vest seller list at least three times! :)Taffyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-82851797909714043682012-07-16T14:04:50.236-06:002012-07-16T14:04:50.236-06:00Thank you for this. It's true that practice is...Thank you for this. It's true that practice is so helpful. My family were just saying how much improved my writing is after all the practice I get from blogging in particular. It helps to know everyone needs to practice, and not just me!Claire Hennessyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-9265603630112887392012-07-16T13:45:50.471-06:002012-07-16T13:45:50.471-06:00Elana, I agree with the article since my husband a...Elana, I agree with the article since my husband and daughter are great examples.<br /><br />My husband, who couldn't write a lick when I met him, is now a great writer...through much practice (both reading and writing).<br /><br />My daughter, who is a natural at basketball, gave up the sport because she didn't want to put in the hours of practice necessary to make her "great" at the sport.<br /><br />Genius, it has been said, is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.<br /><br />Btw, I just ordered both of your books for my daughter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-5735146632076305202012-07-16T13:33:34.398-06:002012-07-16T13:33:34.398-06:00Yes, Yes...practice disciplines the mind and spiri...Yes, Yes...practice disciplines the mind and spirit. Thanks for directing me to the article.Karen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13425141684712829990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-3797177089035085292012-07-16T13:09:29.320-06:002012-07-16T13:09:29.320-06:00Practice? Um. I did write this morning. I always s...Practice? Um. I did write this morning. I always sort of go *eyebrow up* and toss a bucket of salt over my shoulder when I read numerical values assigned to nebulous concepts such as genius, beauty, etc.Stephanie McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16507025637411479409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-84360985603764516402012-07-16T12:56:09.083-06:002012-07-16T12:56:09.083-06:00Very inspiring! Looks like I need to practice some...Very inspiring! Looks like I need to practice some more!Krispyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09492607213249874138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-72995588812454394552012-07-16T12:09:54.834-06:002012-07-16T12:09:54.834-06:00Agreed! This is like Outliers...the 10,000 hours o...Agreed! This is like Outliers...the 10,000 hours or ten years thing. I just have to keep motivated to keep practicing!ilimahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17899071063752311737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-16233262294169868512012-07-16T11:52:03.863-06:002012-07-16T11:52:03.863-06:00Such a great reminder. It's hard not to think ...Such a great reminder. It's hard not to think that others are just naturally good at things.Pattihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00685341739870191402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-55297496320160732642012-07-16T11:30:15.298-06:002012-07-16T11:30:15.298-06:00I *love* this. Yes yes and YES!I *love* this. Yes yes and YES!Ali Crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15907289209780628314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-70925573958646948562012-07-16T09:39:40.776-06:002012-07-16T09:39:40.776-06:00Great post, Elana. Very encouraging!
I would add,...Great post, Elana. Very encouraging!<br /><br />I would add, however, a favorite saying by my social dance teacher in college: Practice doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent. She stressed over and over again the importance of doing it right. lolDonna K. Weaverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15763832177263927311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-27812153104864962012-07-16T09:17:24.363-06:002012-07-16T09:17:24.363-06:00Love this! Practice is vital to everything we do. ...Love this! Practice is vital to everything we do. When I teach phys ed & coach, I always talk about how the superstars and Olympic athletes practice continually. It works for everything!Jemi Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02214408467456320167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-62084392736351930392012-07-16T09:15:36.721-06:002012-07-16T09:15:36.721-06:00Sing it, sister! I also think that writers (or art...Sing it, sister! I also think that writers (or artists) can speed up the 10 year process by writing a TON of work - which is probably what you did, Elana, and that's why you're seeing publishing success so quickly. I do believe you've mentioned in past posts that you've been writing thousands of pages each year. So practice IS where it's at in any field.Kimberley Griffiths Littlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03269829969442171522noreply@blogger.com