What do sports and writing have in common? Good players, good coaches, and good moves.
In 1,000 degree heat (that might be a slight – but only slight – exaggeration) today, while cheering from the side of a soccer field (and later watching college football), some thoughts I’ve had over the last few months sort of gelled together.
It takes a team, but it also takes a coach. You can have the best players in the country, but if the coaching isn’t there, they can’t succeed as a team.
As odd as it may sound, this has been on my mind a great deal recently, not so much where sports are concerned (although I do love sports), but in the writing/publishing community.
An aside: I’m the daughter of a Methodist minister and a teacher. I’ve been taught my entire life to “rise above” and “turn the other cheek.” And that’s what I’ve done, and I imagine it’s what I’ll continue to do, because in the grand scheme of things it has its place, and it’s who I’ve been raised to be.
But my husband hails from a different background, and his take on things is this: “Sometimes, you have to meet people where they are. If they’re in the trenches, that’s where you have to go to fight.”
He has a point, and it’s one to which I’ve given a fair amount of thought.
As I’ve distanced myself from my previous publisher and moved forward with creating my own imprint and re-releasing my novels, some things have become painfully obvious. I’ll always regret (and be saddened by, because that’s what I feel – sadness) the missed opportunities due to lack of promised editing, lack of response, and breaches of contract that meant even the most basic of publishing duties weren’t upheld. On the flip side, I’ve learned a great deal, and for that, I’m grateful.
For writers, too, it takes a good coach. A bad coach can do more harm than good, in the end.
I’ve struggled this summer with letting go of anger and moving forward. I think I’m there. I hope I am. I don’t believe in holding on to anger, because it does so much more harm to the “holder” than it does to the “recipient.”
This is my story, and this is my interpretation of it, though other participants may disagree. I’ll probably never be one of those fighting “down in the trenches,” but I do believe I’m one who presses forward with eyes wide open, learning from past mistakes.
As painful and frustrating as the last few months have been, I need to give a shout out to all the readers and authors who have supported me through it. We might not have had a good coach, but we’ve played one hell of a game, and we're just beginning.
It takes a team, but it also takes a coach. You can have the best players in the country, but if the coaching isn’t there, they can’t succeed as a team.
As odd as it may sound, this has been on my mind a great deal recently, not so much where sports are concerned (although I do love sports), but in the writing/publishing community.
An aside: I’m the daughter of a Methodist minister and a teacher. I’ve been taught my entire life to “rise above” and “turn the other cheek.” And that’s what I’ve done, and I imagine it’s what I’ll continue to do, because in the grand scheme of things it has its place, and it’s who I’ve been raised to be.
But my husband hails from a different background, and his take on things is this: “Sometimes, you have to meet people where they are. If they’re in the trenches, that’s where you have to go to fight.”
He has a point, and it’s one to which I’ve given a fair amount of thought.
As I’ve distanced myself from my previous publisher and moved forward with creating my own imprint and re-releasing my novels, some things have become painfully obvious. I’ll always regret (and be saddened by, because that’s what I feel – sadness) the missed opportunities due to lack of promised editing, lack of response, and breaches of contract that meant even the most basic of publishing duties weren’t upheld. On the flip side, I’ve learned a great deal, and for that, I’m grateful.
For writers, too, it takes a good coach. A bad coach can do more harm than good, in the end.
I’ve struggled this summer with letting go of anger and moving forward. I think I’m there. I hope I am. I don’t believe in holding on to anger, because it does so much more harm to the “holder” than it does to the “recipient.”
This is my story, and this is my interpretation of it, though other participants may disagree. I’ll probably never be one of those fighting “down in the trenches,” but I do believe I’m one who presses forward with eyes wide open, learning from past mistakes.
As painful and frustrating as the last few months have been, I need to give a shout out to all the readers and authors who have supported me through it. We might not have had a good coach, but we’ve played one hell of a game, and we're just beginning.
date
newest »
newest »
It is. I've had so many readers cheering for me against all odds (one in particular from UNC-Wilmington stands out), and I'm incredibly grateful for that, and wish I had a way to say "thank you" that they could see.
It's too bad there always are those who don't play fair, but in the long run you'll always come out a winner.
Melinda, your words impress, inspire, and ring true. Great post, and like you, I'm grateful and moving on!
So much truth in your statements. I'm also at the "letting go" stage in my anger. Grief remains, though. I suppose that's "normal" and when I actually see my books back on the Internet, under my own name, then I can not only let go of the grief, but celebrate my winning over injustice.
Robert wrote: "It's too bad there always are those who don't play fair, but in the long run you'll always come out a winner."Thanks, Robert. I do believe the good guys (and gals) eventually win.
Anne wrote: "Melinda, your words impress, inspire, and ring true. Great post, and like you, I'm grateful and moving on!"Thank you, Anne! Fun times ahead. :-)
Smoky wrote: "There are cheaters and thieves out there. Sadly, not everyone has the high ethics you and I (and our cohorts--they know who they are) have. You gave me strength this summer too, my friend. Glad I c..."A lot of great things have come from these last few months, not the least of which has been developing and growing stronger friendships!
Marilyn wrote: "So much truth in your statements. I'm also at the "letting go" stage in my anger. Grief remains, though. I suppose that's "normal" and when I actually see my books back on the Internet, under my ow..."We're traveling a similar path, Marilyn, and I look forward to moving ahead and putting the past behind me.
Malcolm