Inspirational Writing

Lesson 3: Persistence that Pays

"Great works are performed not by strength but perseverance." - Dr. Samuel Johnson

Luney for Learning

Lois Duncan wrote her way through college, right? With five kids and a booming career writing for top magazines like Good Housekeeping and Reader's Digest there must have been at least one moment when Duncan questioned the idea she might be batt-luney for becoming an undergrad during her career's height.

Or was there? She clearly knew something valuable when she saw it -- that using every available learning source toward writing is as much an investment in self. Not one of Duncan's undergraduate courses went wasted. She got the most out of each class, selling to a widespread variety of top-rate publications. And, from the courses that didn't result in sales her talent as a writer multiplied, eventually landing her in her most successful role as popular novelist!

The trick for you is making activities within your own life into valuable sources the way Duncan did. The solution is so easy it's embarassing (evidence of my "Is-My-Underwear-Good-Enough Syndrome" showing). Just follow this exercise:

Ask yourself which activities in your life are valuable LEARNING sources. Whichever ones they are, these are the ones capable of resulting in your best writing material.

Examples:

• Taking a Child to Day Care -- See all those frayed books covered in drool? Gold mines! One year-old Cynthia is learning to speak words. Each picture book in the room was created by an author familiar with the development of the one year-old. Take your child and a stack then read some.

  Now go home and write. You could write an article about books for toddlers based on the common element of one sentence per page. In it, you could recall your child's reactions, showing how the format is effective.

• Helping a Sick Grandparent -- Never had an inclination to learn about Grampa's life until he broke his arm and now you are sitting in a room with him every night praying for a miracle (a subject to talk about)? Pray no more. What do you two have in common? Not much. He is old, you are young. He is wise, you are not. He knows firsthand what it was like growing up during World War Two.

  Hey! Why not ask Grampa what it was like? Jot down on a notepad anything he says that serves to interest. Wala! You have a piece that could be titled "What Grampa Lived Through."

• Exercising -- Maybe this one's a long shot. Maybe when you run it is more like the shuffle of a constipated buffalo. Maybe there are more people like you in the world than you might think!

  Try picking up your pace by buying a copy of Runners World. Does it have an inspiring department? An article titled "A Slow Runner Chronicles her Fast Attempt" could fly, perhaps becoming a column.

If you can't think of any educational activities in your life, find some. Here are some ideas:

• Attend a college lecture open to the public. Lecturers come in a variety of types: psychologists, animal rights activitsts, artists, writers. I once went to a lecture at Cape Cod Community College given by Jane Goodall, the renowned chimpanzee expert. Her lecture was free -- and heartwrenching.

  Goodall's slide show included an image of a chimpanzee who had been enclosed in small cage for decades. His drab eyes revealed a broken spirit. While there were also uplifting images of chimpanzees preening and caressing, none so seized my attention the way those sad eyes did. At the time I became inspired to find a way to work with Goodall. For various reasons, writing won in the end. Still, I will never forget the caged chimp. I will never forget the freedom Jane Goodall works toward.

  If you choose to attend a lecture, bring a notebook. Take notes, being sure to record the lecturer's credentials. Write down each idea that fascinates, quoting the lecturer. Wala! You have a highly desirable piece for an animal rights publication (or -- depending on the lecturer -- arts, writing or history publication, etc).

• Use a daily motivator. Better yet, check-out "The Daily Motivator" website. This site puts environmental images together with powerful words, resulting in motivational sentences such as "What will you do today that will matter tomorrow?" The site's address is http://www.greatday.com/motivate/images/

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