Revised dialogue

Good morning,

After reading a little more of Stephen King's On Writing, I was shamed in the heavily revising the little snipped that was my second post.   Turns out that perfect practice makes perfect and blog post two was kind of crappy.

Here is the revision:

He said, "I am DEATH, destroyer of worlds.” No emotion was visible on his face.

I was playing a potentially fatal chess game.  Sweat dripped from my forehead into my eyes.  I was really stuck this time.  No matter how I twisted this situation in my head, the only chance I had was to face him head on.   What did Russell say?  Oh yeah, “Lean into the pain."

“Okay, Russell, I’m leaning. I’m practically perpendicular, dammit.” I said to myself in a silent voice.

My hand snaked behind my back, fingers connected with the severe lines of my cube.  I lean into everything: fear, pain, remote possibilities of success, and the probability of failure.  I begin to talk myself through: “Deep breath, calm, breathe…now.”

I make a self-observation:  “I talk too much to myself. It’s gonna get me in trouble someday.  But not today.”

Lowering my voice, I raise the intensity, throwing a big gut guess gauntlet at him.

"Misha, You aren't a Death--you're a Legender!  You’re so full of it, you liar!"

As I contemplated my haunch, an infinite number of observations that didn't make sense, that were intentionally ignored, suddenly clicked. He stacked all of his deceits to force one outcome.  He wanted to me make a choice.  His choice. 

Good thing I never did what anyone wanted me to do.

“Chose, Karma.” He said through a cold smile.  His voice was weary. “Now.”

I could feel the cube behind just starting to vibrate. 

Stalling, I faced him, “My mom was so right about you.  She told me to never turn my back on a hot guy.” 

That is a lot better.  Not good, but better.
Okay, it's time for me to go change the world.
First I need to stop at the dry-cleaners.

Ciao!
H

New Calculations of Proficiency

I was just re-thinking the 10,000 hour rule and surfing Google.  Clearly in 2014 some scientists refuted the validity of the initial 10,000 hour mastery guideline.  I already mentioned in my first blog that to become a great writer, you could also write 1,000,000 word-- hence the title "million word blog" and the reality check of how long its really going to take-- four-ish years.

Today's new interesting thought is from Orson Scott Card, who said:

“Since every writer has about ten thousand pages of utter drivel in them, you might as well start now so you can get a good portion of that out of your way while you’re still young." 

So from the perspective of 10,000 pages of utter drivel, figuring that there's 250 words per page, we are looking at 2.5 million words, which at 5,000 words per week is 9.6 years.  

Wow.  That's a long time.  

Now, if I figure that I may spend 20 hours a week writing, 52 weeks a year, to hit the 10,000 hours, I would have to work...9.6 years.

Not funny, dammit.  No matter what I do, it's going to take me a decade to become the quality of writer I want to be.  I guess that isn't surprising...

I guess I better get going, whining isn't going to help.  I have a lot of work ahead of me!

Day One-- Purpose or Porpoise?

Day One- Purpose or Porpoise? January 23 2016

I used to teach a session for budding leaders that talked about focusing on one's strengths instead of working on minimizing the weaknesses.  As part of that conversation there was a long section on how many hours it would take to be a master.

The current wisdom is 10,000 hours.  10,000 hours of perfect practice to be a concert violinist, a Tiger Woods (before the tragic character fall), or a Joe Montana.
However, is it the same for writers?  Given the fact that I have been in school since I was 4 and now I am 47, isn't it most likely that in 43 years, after high school, college, med school, the rise of email,  business school, my various careers, writing books and articles that I have spent 10,000 hours writing?
Roughly that would break down to about 39 minutes a day for the past 43 years.  In truth, given all of the "education" I have had, its probably far more hours than 10,000 hours.

So what does matter for a writer?  How does one become 'Tiger Words" if you will?  I read on someone's blog that it takes a million words.  A million words written with intent and focus.
Hmm, that makes sense.
I read in Stephen King's book, On Writing, that he writes 10 pages a day, or about 2,000 words. Every day.   That's a lot-- especially for someone who has a "real job."  So what is do-able?  5,000 words a week.  That is about 20 pages of writing.

This blog is my accountability to the project.  Its a space to watch my progression and to document the transition from amateur to master...Technically at 5,000 words per week, it would take 3.8 years.
I've got the time.  I have a plan.

I want to be in the same class as JK Rowling, but I don't want to write just like her.  I want to write just like me.  This is a space to explore what that is and to build the skills to get there.

I'm inviting you on the journey with me.

Wish us all luck and mastery-- and with 360 words down, only 999,640 to go!!!