Those who follow my blog regularly will know that I’m a big football person. I play fantasy football (and get cursed out by guys who don’t know that I’m a gal, or know and don’t care) and I watch the games on television and online. I’ve been known to watch three games at once, following the scores and the sacks and the bad calls by the replacement refs.
Last year, football was boring. Why? No Peyton Manning calling plays at the line.
Say what you will about Peyton, from his commercial hustle to his pouts and tantrums during the game, (search on YouTube for Peyton Manning/Jeff Saturday and you’ll see him cursing out the former Colts’ center to the point where one of the O-line dudes told him to ‘go sit down’) but he knows what he wants from the game and goes after it. Mind you, football is not a one-man show, as much as we would like to think it is. If he throws the ball and no one catches it (I’m looking at you Eric Decker and Jacob Tamme), then he really has no recourse. Peyton is a perfectionist and you can see it on his face every time something goes wrong.
On the other hand, writing IS a one man show. No matter how you slice it, at the core of the craft, it’s you, your pencils and notebook, or you and the computer screen.
It’s. Just. You.
There’s no Eric Decker to blame if you don’t make your word count. Didn’t finish the story before the deadline and want to blame someone? Look in the mirror. Don’t garner excuses for your lack of performance on the playing field of being an author. Catch the balls. Run your routes correctly.
How do you do that?
Be determined. Get off of Facebook. Get off of Wikipedia. Yes, we know you need to “research” but don’t let that cut into your writing time. Set writing goals and MEET THEM. If Manning can come back from four neck surgeries and throw that ball across the field at thirty-six years old, you can get down a couple of words a day in your notebook or in that Word file.
Peyton was so bad off that he couldn’t lift a tray of drinks at a Colts charity function last year. Imagine how that affected him, a four time MVP. And how much balls did it take to get on the field for the first time and take a hit after spine fusion surgery. Certainly, all the best doctors said he would no problem, every thing is fine, but when it’s YOU out there getting hit…all the yakking of all the very best doctors in the world wouldn’t keep me from having some trepidations about getting sacked by a London Fletcher, Brian Urlacher or Ndomukong Suh. That would be enough to keep me on the bench.
Love writing like Peyton Manning loves football. He’s certainly can’t still be playing for the money!
Great post. So very true!
Nikki
I love Peyton. I even named my dog after him. It has everything to do with seeing how into his craft he is and how he wants it so bad. I was so happy to see him back this year although hard to see him in the Bronco’s uniform, but football is so much more interesting with him in it.