I don’t think anyone who knows me is shocked to learn that I was a cheerleader back in the day, but many would be surprised to see how the sport, both as a participant and later as a cheer coach, shaped the writer I am today.
Traits of a successful cheerleader:
- Positive attitude
- Commitment and dedication to your team
- Patience and persistence
- Confidence
- Sportsmanship
Traits of a successful writer:
- Positive attitude
- Commitment and dedication to your craft
- Patience and persistence
- Confidence
- Sportsmanship
Let’s break these down so you can see what I mean.
Positive Attitude
Picture it. Southern Ohio. Late 80’s and early 90’s. Our middle school and high school sports teams were not competitive. Our high school football team was lucky to win a game a year. Do you know how hard it is to entertain the crowd in the pouring rain when your football team is getting slaughtered? It wasn’t fun or pretty, but that’s what you agreed to do when you put on the uniform. A cheerleader has a never-give-up attitude, and you cheer on the team through all the ups and downs. Writing isn’t different. Sometimes you’re at the top of the pyramid, and other times you crumble to the ground. You don’t write books because it’s easy, you do it because it’s a calling. It’s who you are—a creator and a word wizard. I won’t lie to you. There are days it’s tough to find your rah-rah, shake your pom-poms, and you can’t get your toe touch off the ground. It’s just one day. Shake it off and get back out there. Never. Give. Up.
Commitment and Dedication to Your Craft
Cheerleaders are continually training and learning new techniques to stay on top of their games. Coaches continuously track the latest trends, search for the hottest music, and find ways to keep their routines fresh and exciting. I take these approaches to both my writing and coaching other writers. As an author, I’m continuously looking for ways to improve my writing skills and better processes to make the projects flow smoothly from beginning to end. That means I read craft books and learn from others. As a coach, I believe in tough love. Don’t ask me why you’re not able to focus and complete your daily word count goals if I see you posting on Facebook all day long. I’m not saying there aren’t other factors contributing to your procrastination, but I am telling you it’s not helping you be more productive. Facebook is an excellent tool for connecting with readers, and I highly recommend being active, but know when to post and when to shut it down and get to work.
Patience and Persistence
Listen, there will always be a contingent of people who just don’t like you. I experienced this as a cheerleader, a cheer mom, a cheer coach, and a writer. My daughter had a friend who lived in our neighborhood, and she’d bluntly say, “I cannot stand cheerleaders. I love to sit in the stands and make fun of them.” She’d say it in front of my daughter, the cheerleader, and me, the cheer coach. Some friend, huh? The thing was, she was a great kid, so it really caught me off guard that she was so vehement in her dislike. Instead of getting angry, I patiently asked her why she felt this way. Do they pick on you? Are they snobby to you? What bad experiences do you have with cheerleaders? “None,” she said. “My mom can’t stand them either.” So, this friend never had a bad experience with cheerleaders but hated them anyway. I wasn’t that surprised because I’d experienced this myself in school. People make a decision about you and it’s final. I’ve seen it more times than I can count in this genre too. Romance writers are a joke. A straight woman shouldn’t write gay romance. Blah. Blah. Blah. You can let these people dictate your passions and your life path, or you can keep on shaking your pom-poms and going about your business. Do you know the best revenge? Going on with your life and being happy. They hate it! *spirit fingers*
Confidence
This is the hardest one for most of us and should never be confused with arrogance. For me, confidence is knowing you belong, not necessarily that you are the best cheerleader on the squad or the best writer in your genre. It’s the understanding that there is room for you in the community or on the team. I was a very good cheerleader, but I didn’t have the tumbling training that others did. I started the sport late and had a very short time to hone my skills to make the team. I almost let that deter me, but I decided to give it a try. I believed I belonged then, and I believe it now. I won’t pretend that I don’t hit bumps in the road while writing, especially tight spots in a manuscript where I question just what in the hell I’m doing. I dig deep and keep pushing. I try to learn from the mistakes I made and avoid repeating them.
Sportsmanship
Team sports teach you a lot of essential things. You learn to work together and rely on one another. You build trust. Think of those tiny little ladies getting tossed in the air and how much faith they have for their spotters. Writers are the flyers, and editors, beta readers, and proofreaders are our spotters. Everyone on the team has an important role. Yes, competitive cheerleaders want to win, but that doesn’t mean they can’t respect and appreciate how well another team functions and competes. You should never sabotage another squad so that you can win. An author should never step on another writer’s back to gain footing either. I think this bears repeating. Other authors are not my competition. We are stronger together. We learn together. We grow together. We boost one another during hard times and cheer each other on during triumphs. That is the kind of person I am, and it’s the kind of person who draws me in.
And this is how my life as a former cheerleader and cheer coach has shaped my approach to writing and my outlook on life. Until next month, happy reading…
xoxo
