Day 12- (Motivation) Cross Train Aways

This is how to protect joins, extend your career, and get stronger without breaking yourself. Fascia mobility, functional strength, pilates, breath-work and recovery are not optional anymore. They're your safety net. This is how you jump higher, turn sharper, extend further - and avoid preventable injuries. ~Ayca Anil

When it comes to your writing, it is always best to stick to one genre and learn to do it well. So, as you read this, you might think I am going to argue cross training means to go out and write in a variety of genres and I will say right now, the answer is no. I am still a firm believer is sticking to a plan. Yes, you can certainly branch out once you have truly mastered an area which many writers do, but master one before you move on. So then, what do we mean by cross training?

We can learn a lot from studying other genres and other disciplines, even if we do not write in those genres. Keeping your mind open to those other disciplines may give you insights into your own personal writing. 

Consider this. There are many sub-genres in romance, inspirational romance being one of the most obvious, where sexual relationships are never shown on the page. Much of what authors believe about what "is supposed to be in a romance" is simply not there, and yet, the characters still build their relationship throughout the story. Reading a story like this, even if this is something you do not write would give you the "cross training" knowledge that you can build into your story that might strengthen the depth of your own character building. 

Cross training might also include looking at areas such as academic writing that you would believe do not belong anywhere near the creative writing spectrum.

If you really think about what we have done for the last twelve days, we have been exploring cross training by using the world of dance. When I first brought this up to you days ago, some of you might have thought I was really reaching, and yet, hopefully, you have started stretching and growing your writing and thinking in ways you have not considered before.

I want you to think about this series this way. To be a true writer (or for that matter any thing in this world, which really means to be a human), is to always find a way to grow and learn.

I teach my students something that learned in a philosophy course. I don't know if it was true or an urban myth, but I like the thought. Socrates was once told he was the smartest person in the world and he argued he couldn't be if he was always having to ask questions. So consider this example. 

If we look at this circle and everything inside of it is information we 100% know and understand. Things on the outside, BUT touch the circle are things we know of but do not understand. Things on the outside but do not touch the circle, are things we simply are not aware of. Now consider this... As we take in the things that touch the outside of the circle and bring the items into the circle, what happens to the area of the circle and what happens to the circumference of the circle?

It got larger, meaning that if the circumference got larger, it means we have more things to learn and bring into the circle. Learning never ceases and only encourages us to learn more.

I encourage you to do the same thing.

Keep on writing and growing!