5 Gold Lessons For Writers

 

 

The recent Olympics had many interesting human interest stories, from athletes setting performance records and the US topping the medals list to athletes telling stories of overcoming poverty, loss, injuries, health scares, etc., and of how one’s competitive drive and spirit lifted them to excel beyond any human being’s performance. Let’s also not forget about the pole vaulter who lost because his package literally knocked the pole down. That’s a hard way to lose but his endowment may pay off if he enters another industry. 

 

But one story that fascinated me the most is one that every writer should embrace. I’m talking about the world’s fastest human, U.S.A. sprinter Noah Lyles, who affords us a number of lessons to heed. 

 

First, let’s explain his accomplishment: He ran the 100-meter dash in 9.79 seconds to edge out all other humans. In fact, he almost lost, if not for a late-race, spectacular surge. He was in last place 40% into the race. Then he turned it on and just barely legged it out over stiff competition. Lesson #1: It’s not how your start, but how you finish, that matters. 

 

He shows us that like writers who go unpublished for a long time, can still catch up and succeed later on. Never give up on your hopes and dreams!

 

As I mentioned, he won by a thin margin. In fact, only five one-thousandths of a second separated him from second place. Lesson #2: A tiny difference separates winners and losers. 

 

Look at best-selling authors. Some make the list just by selling literally a few more copies of their book than someone else, or they win an award by a narrow factor. To break through, you just need to be a little bit better than others. Keep striving to do better.  

 

The field of eight world-class sprinters did something unusual. Each and every one of them, including the last-place finisher, clocked times that would have yielded a gold medal if it were 40 years ago or so. Training methods, sneakers, clothing, diet, supplements, and any number of factors -- even the surface they run on could factor into the slightest improvement that over time, will produce faster humans. Lesson #3: Authors can still improve, aside from their natural talent. They can get help from editors, use technology to do research or suggest better sentences, and they can read a wider variety of books to learn from. You can still perfect your craft, no matter how well you write.

 

Runners have scored faster times as the years go by. In 1896, the top Olympiad did the race in 12 seconds. 

 

By 1900, 11 seconds was the time to beat. In 1964, the 10-second barrier was breached. Much tinier improvements have come in the last 60 years, but I would not be surprised that the nine-second barrier will be broken once some scientific or genetic breakthrough is unearthed. Lesson #4: If the rules change, so will the winners. 

 

All authors today are human, of course, but can be aided by some cocktail of legal or illegal drugs, various food compounds, and different temperature conditions that are conducive to maximizing a writer’s output. Further, today’s writer benefits from technology, from editing to research. One day, when the hybrid human exists, where technology is embedded into people, writing will certainly change. Or, God forbid, AI takes over and writes all of our books. 

 

Lyles taught us another lesson -- to compete even when you are not feeling your best. It turns out that he tested positive for Covid the night he won the 100-meter race. Two days later, he ran the 200. He did not win as was expected, but managed to win the bronze before collapsing on the track and needing to be carted away in a wheelchair. That was a gutsy performance, showing grit and determination, where one’s belief, hope, and sense of mission can overcome where one lacks in another area. 

 

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Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over 3.9 million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.