Regan Black

This is my last post as it relates to the olympics – I promise! But as a former athlete, I must say the dedication and efforts are inspiring.

Learning the back story of how Kim Yu-Na made it to Vancouver, her training and the ups and downs under the heavy expectations of a nation made it all the more amazing when she took the gold.

With a record-setting score!

She wasn’t the only athlete to come to the winter games with immense pressure on her shoulders. She wasn’t the only athlete to compete under the harsh glare of the media spotlight.

But the next morning when Dick Button said she did it despite her flaws and weaknesses: that got my attention.

Apparently Kim Yu-Na has back trouble and her coaches said with proper rest and physiotherapy it wouldn’t be a problem in competition. Watching her skate, she didn’t seem to have any weaknesses.

But that’s because Kim and her coaches tailored a program to her particular strengths.

So Kim can’t do a lot of the ‘leg up behind her back’ moves other skaters knock off with deceptive ease. But she can put together a complete program – two complete programs – packed with exciting spins, jumps, footwork  and transitions that play up the lines and grace she was born with.

They said she’s got a playful side and she likes to ‘take on’ a character during the performance. Her Bond girl rendition in the short program was spot-on!

Her coaches gave her what she needed physically, to find what would let her shine under the spotlight. But Kim put in the hours of work, the focused concentration and effort, and she reached her gold-medal goal.

Not by worrying about the skills she lacked, not by comparing herself to others. She did it by discovering and playing to her strengths.

As writers, with individual preferences, talents, and strengths – this is a lesson we should all take to heart. We won’t get where we want to be by comparing our weak areas with another author’s strong suit.

We’ve got to find our strengths, and then play them up with daily effort and perseverance!

Live the adventure!

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Yes, I’m aware the olympic games are over. However, some of the stories and lessons remain – as they should.

It occurred to me as I heard all the hype about Lindsey Vonn – and watched how she handled it with grace and pretty good spirits – that a similar thing happens to writers.

Those who dream of careers in commercial fiction often face heavy  expectations from people inside and outside the publishing industry.

Everyone has an opinion – or a particular delusion – about published authors. Often it starts with the notion that you merely write the book and then send out a brief letter about the book to an agent.

That agent falls in love with the book and sells it for a seven figure deal to a ‘major’ house.  The major house launches a no-reader left behind publicity campaign. The book is wildly popular and the author cashes royalty checks while eating chocolates and writing the next book.

Reporters were eager to label Lindsey Vonn the Vancouver Darling and predict she would gather gold in her every race. As a prime athlete she trained, envisioned, and competed with the intent of peaking at the 2010 games.

But did her expectations match the expectations of the media?

In her own words- no.

What Vonn had in mind for her olympic experience probably differed greatly from what the public anticipated. And it should. She knew her strengths and her limits. She knew her goals. She knew herself.

Vonn dreamed and prepared, she gave every event the best she had, and she had every reason to be proud of herself when the games were done. She was the first American woman to take gold in the downhill, that alone made her a standout success.

A writer’s expectations may differ wildly from the outsider’s expectations. In reality, writers can only control the writing and submitting part of the publishing program. Oh – and the promo efforts too of course!

No matter what family, friends, neighbors and postal carriers think about the life of authors, only the individual author knows the strengths, weaknesses, desires and ultimate goals that set them apart from the pack.

Live the adventure!

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If you’ve been following along with the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, you’ve likely seen lots of interviews of athletes as well as lots of action.

The stories posted on the US broadcasts seem to have a common theme: how athletes dig in to overcome challenges.

From Lindsey Vonn’s shin injury to Bode Miller’s ups and downs over three olympic games to the moment Apolo Ohno’s dad forced him to think about his future. All of them faced adversity and obstacles. All of them kept going and did it anyway.

It can’t just be that US reporters are looking for underdogs or sob stories – though there are certainly those angles.

These athletes have become characters – in our hearts and on our televisions. They have shown integrity and dedication to their sport and their supporters to give it their best effort – no matter the score at the end of the day.

Shaun White at the top of the hill didn’t even have to make a second run – he’d won the gold. He was so excited he claimed he couldn’t make a run, but he did.

He settled himself and threw down a run like no one’s ever seen, earning a 48.8 out of 50 possible. He didn’t do it for the points, he did it for the fans.

Alexandre Bilodeau, the Canadian gold medalist in men’s moguls dragged himself up the mountain for practices even on days when he didn’t want to simply because his brother couldn’t.

In watching the reporters, in listening to the questions posed, dodged and answered, it helps me refine the questions I’ll ask my characters – both the protagonists and the antagonists.

Not just what makes you mad or elated, but what would you go to the mat for? Who is the motivating force that keeps you going back to practice?

Villains have just as much motivation as heroes and character interviews can peel back the layers to get to the heart of it. And putting that character heart on the page turns your readers into fans!

Live the adventure!

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