As a little girl I dreamed of being in the Olympics. Who didn’t? So, I joined gymnastics and practiced trying to ice skate backwards.
I watched every minute of the Olympics that didn’t occur at two in the morning. I was hooked. Look out Mary Lou Retton. Right. That plan didn’t last long. There is this little thing called talent and also commitment.
The year after my daughter was born I found myself up in the middle of the night with her and lo and behold, I found a new Olympic sport. Curling. Surely, I could learn to curl. The guys on the team weren’t all young. I had a few good curls in me.
Reality hit when I remembered you had to stay balanced on the ice, without falling while throwing a large bowling ball like object. Or, you could be one of the toothbrush guys. Curling was out. I still like to watch it though.
To be an Olympian there are two absolutely mandatory qualities, talent and commitment to hard word. In both of these categories I flat lined in all of the Olympic sports.
Being an Olympian is a lot harder than it looks. They may make it look effortless, but who are we kidding? Since when was hurdling down a snowy slope on a piece of wood the size of my ironing board effortless?
Being a published best-selling author requires the same amount of talent and commitment to hard work that you might find in an Olympian.
So why do we think it will be so easy? We want to publish and we want to publish now. That is like telling our seven year old who just took a year of swimming lessons to go try out for the Olympic team. It’s ridiculous.
Steps to become an Olympic Writer:
*Find Your Unique Talent. Discover what genre and style of writing fits you best. Your unique flavor and voice are what make your writing amazing. Michelle Kwan was known on the ice for her artistry. Kristi Yamaguchi was known for her technical expertise in the triple-triple combinations. Each are loved and respected for their talents. Each are medal winning Olympians.
*Find An Amazing Coach. Our primary coach in life as writers should be Christ, but we also need mentors to coach us in the craft of writing. Olympians look for medal-winning coaches to train them.
~Olympic gymnastic coaches Bela and Marta Karolyi have coached both Romanian andU.S.teams to medal-winning success. In total, Karolyi has coached fifteen world champions, sixteen European medalists, sixU.S.national champions and nine Olympic champions. Some of the gymnasts they have trained are Nadia Comaneci, Mary Lou Retton, Betty Okino, Kerri Strug, Teodora Ungureanu, Kim Zmeskal, Kristie Phillips and Dominique Moceanu.
*Intensive Training. Becoming a writer will involve intensive training. Many writers are not published until after they have written three or more novels. Writer’s workshops are essential for success. Olympians train years before they ever get the opportunity to compete for a medal.
~Most Olympians train for 3-8 hours a day at least five days a week.
~Part of the Olympian’s training program is taking care of their bodies through health and exercise. Our writing performance is stronger when we are healthy, too.
*Make No Excuses. If you have excuses for why you can’t reach your goal, or it is harder for you than anyone else, ditch them.
~At the age of 15, figure skater Tara Lipinsky became the youngest individual gold medalist in the history of the Olympic Winter Games.
~In the summer of 1936 Jesse Owens arrived inBerlinfor the summer Olympics. Hitler’sGermanyspewed hate, but Jesse fought hard and won a total of four gold medals. Hitler and all ofGermanywatched their pure blooded Germans beat by an African American.
*Eliminate Sour Grapes. Jealousy will kill your Olympic dreams and consume the energy you should be spending on writing.
~Tanya Harding became notorious in conjunction with the attack on her competitor Nancy Kerrigan. Confessing to withholding her knowledge of the event brought negative press and her career reputation was forever marred.
~Ben Johnson won the gold medal in the hundred meter sprint inSoule,Korea. His moment to gloat in his win over Carl Lewis was cut short when Johnson’s gold medal was stripped away because he tested positive for steroids.
*Never Give Up. Dreams are worth fighting for! There are some times when our dream seems unreachable, or the obstacles too great, but that is when we should push harder. Victory is closer than it was yesterday.
~Maritza Correia was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of seven. Her doctor recommended taking up gymnastics or swimming to help with her condition. In 2004 she came home with an Olympic silver medal in swimming.
Who are your favorite Olympians on the page or in sports?
Thoughts On Plot 