Improving as a Writer

Practice makes perfect, a term that has been used so much that even small children know it. It falls in line with the 10,000 hours concept, an detailed explanation behind the practice makes perfect adage. Essentially, it states that to truly master something, you must spend at least 10,000 hours doing it. Which, if you break that down into 40 hour weeks, means a little over 4 1/2 years. When I originally set out to craft my first novel 6 years ago, the only experience I had with writing stemmed from courses in grade-school and college. You quickly find yourself in situations where you desperately seek to remember the wise words of your past English teachers.

It's been a great journey re-learning and applying the English language, calling to mind its intricacies to help bring my stories to life. As I look at the continued progress of my second novel, I'm reminded of what I have accomplished so far. I completed a first! Does this mean that I have mastered my craft? Far from it! I think the 10,000 hour concept should be changed slightly, to more align with the reality. It takes 10,000 hours to realize that you have a whole lifetime of improvement ahead of you.