From Writing as a Sacred Path:
The highest goal of warrior training is mastery. This ultimate objective is not mere knowledge or skill, but an understanding that comes only from getting to the core of an activity. According to Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi, mastery occurs only when an activity becomes part of your very self.
Of course with writing, as with the skills of the warrior, you could spend many lifetimes going deeper and deeper into the heart of the endeavor, so mastery is always an ongoing process. But the awareness that you are on the way to that ultimate goal—that you have gone beyond mere skill into the deeper aspects of your art—provides a deep sense of assurance and confidence.
When most people think of warriors, they think about courage. But when I think of warriors, I think about mastery. For me the ultimate key to becoming the warrior writer is training. There are no short cuts to earning a black belt, and none for becoming a warrior writer, either. It is only through training that you can gain mastery of your art.
In Writing as a Sacred Path, I explore several types of training. On this Writing Tips Thursday, here are two of them, in condensed form:
Mastering Form. When a martial artist earns a black belt, its because she has spent years studying specific movements, postures, stances, and techniques, which she has practiced thousands of times until they are second nature. This is the kata of karate, the hyung of tai kwon do. They are the foundation of the martial arts.
As a writer, you, too, can practice kata—very specific techniques that will strengthen your writing at its core.
Try this:
Pick a specific technique to use as kata practice. Segments of crisp dialogue. Taut and elegant paragraphs. A basic form of poetry, such as the haiku, sonnet, or villanelle. A device, such as alliteration or metaphor.
Practice it. Now practice it again. When you are finished, practice some more. Don’t just write three or four haiku. Don’t just write three dozen. Write a hundred, and then keep writing. Don’t just try your hand at perfect paragraphs. Write one after the other after the other. Don’t assume you’ve gained mastery just because you do something pretty well. Knowing a technique “well enough” doesn’t serve a warrior. Whatever you choose for your kata practice, write with care, precision, and thought. Practice your kata until you dream about them. Write them until they’re part of you.
Learning from Masters. No one ever earned a black belt by figuring out karate on their own. Martial artists study under masters, often for many years.For that matter, so do musicians, dancers, actors, and painters. Writers, on the other hand, tend to think they can skip this step. While most writers read the works of authors they want to emulate, and many borrow from them, few seriously study the work of experts or attempt to incorporate their techniques. That’s especially unfortunate since, unlike an aspiring black belt, you don’t actually have to take a class to learn from a master writer.
Try This:
Select a writer you admire. Pick a passage, scene, or poem from her or his work. Read it again and again. Read it aloud and read it silently. Memorize it. Say it by memory. Write it out. Try writing it on a keyboard and with a pen. Write it dozens of times. Sit with the passage and just let it resonate in your head. Be with it. Meditate on it. As you do, you will find yourself realizing things about the writing that you didn’t notice before. You’ll hear rhythms, feel the movement of the language, discover techniques. The skills of the master will sink in, and you’ll find subtle shifts in your own work, shifts you could never attain by simply attempting to imitate the writer’s style.
Don’t try these techniques for a single day. Pick one and stay with it. It takes many years and many, many hours to earn a black belt. Stick with your training. It is the only way to attain mastery of your art.
a heavenly yes
Oh, I’m so pleased!