Practicing Writing

I'm not an athlete. I may be the only living Boomer who has never been part of an organized sports team. My passion for sports is unfortunately much greater than my abilities. Even my daily exercise routine is largely marked by persistence, rather than talent. Yet I spend a good deal of time listening, watching and reading sports--and talking or arguing about them with others with similar passion.

Does this make me a sportswoman? No -- it makes me a fan. Wearing a Peyton Manning jersey doesn't make me a Colt. It takes more. To be an athlete, you have to compete. To be an athlete, you have to practice, exercise, lose and win. To be an athlete, you have to be in the game.

Similarly, to be a writer, you have to write. Enjoying reading alone does not make you a writer--although it can be a great help. Envisioning columns, chapters or plots alone doesn't, either. Loving words is not enough. A writer has to practice writing--often. A writer must explore ways in which to maximize his or her talents and to find the discipline to apply them in what can be competitive or comfortable settings. A writer has to find a way to convert the potential into the actual -- and for professional writers, that usually has to occur within a given time period, with only a few time outs.

You can think of other parallels between writing and athletics. Share them with me.

And while you're thinking about that, a friend shared a column that offers some solid reminders about how to get started writing. Read it at http://bit.ly/Eax3. Anything you can add to your game plan for writing?