Kung Fu Test

[sallytuppence]

A couple of years ago, when I was starting to get serious about writing, I realized that a lot of writers have other creative outlets in their lives. They do felting, or archery, or embroidery, or cartooning, or folk dancing, or making movies, or beading, or playing the recorder. Several very good writer friends are very serious about martial

Comments

[charmingbillie]

Great post, Sarah! This is what dog training is for me. It's where I learned all about striving because, you know, I had to. You get Rottweilers, you can't be making mistakes about how to live with them or how to live in the world with them. And what I love about dog training most is it's all about communicating with aliens--and relationships--it's totally girl cooties all over the place!

I did a talk for work a year or so ago called: 10 Things About Leadership I Learned from Training Dogs. They're not strictly writing related though I'm pretty sure I could also do 10 Things about Writing I Learned from Training Dogs (probably should :-).

10 Things About Leadership I Learned From Training Dogs:

1. Everyone is different (different is not wrong)
2. Motivation is not the same for everyone
3. Unrewarded behavior fades
4. Make sure they understand. Then repeat the instructions.
5. Confidence is more important than you think
6. If you don't know what they're doing, stop telling them they're doing it wrong.
7. You don't have to be mean to be the boss
8. Leadership isn't always from the front
9. Never get in a fight with a Rottweiler
10. Don't forget the party

1, 2, 3, probably 4, definitely 5, 9 ( because 9 is always true) and 10 definitely relate to writing. Also, I tell every class I teach to pay no attention to how other people/dogs in the room are doing because everyone learns at a different rate and you can never tell who's going to have the best trained dog in the end by how they look in class (this is advice I am not very good at following myself, tho).

[sallytuppence]

This is great stuff! #10 is absolutely key. Also #5.

Half of success at any endeavor, I'm convinced, is having the confidence that you can succeed.