Ah, well, I would say you've probably put in your however many words you need toward mastery anyway, as you're well past where I am in terms of technique. And I definitely consider your stories works of art!
There are always people who just sort of gravitate toward working on what they need to work on without the sort of rigorous practice schedule I'm setting here - I know people who practiced as much as I did but didn't work on a stitch of scales (unless it was time for juries). It's the time, I find, that's most important, and the concentration. And clearly you are putting in your time.
I find, like anything involving an art, there are always a million ways to approach it - however, I also find that practice like this (in music anyway) improved every one of my students and studio-mates, and obviously myself, so there's probably something to it.
I also love that you write longhand in notebooks. I do that on occasion, when I don't have a computer (like last night at the concert), but I've gotten so spoiled by the speed of typing that it's frustrating to me to write on a notebook. Also, I research stuff all the time while I'm writing - stupid little things, from the name of a particular product to canon details - so the internets are actually useful, if I don't use them to distract myself.
I think, with writing, it takes some distance to see if what we wrote is good. Even with music, you tend to be overly harsh about a performance you just gave, but it's over, then, you know? With writing, you're hanging on to a piece for a long time (a really long time for things like big bangs etc.) and you can edit yourself to death with stuff like that. I honestly think a bit of distance is the only way to see if what you've done is any good (or a trusted and objective beta).
And so, this is TOTALLY not the place for it (ah, getting on metafandom), but since you're here, I'm going to ask anyway... I've been tapped to be a captain on mcshep_match, and I don't suppose I could bribe you to write for my team? (Team Work! \o/) Really I'm just asking, but if there's something you'd like that I could use to sway you, I'm not above offering a bribe. <3
no subject
There are always people who just sort of gravitate toward working on what they need to work on without the sort of rigorous practice schedule I'm setting here - I know people who practiced as much as I did but didn't work on a stitch of scales (unless it was time for juries). It's the time, I find, that's most important, and the concentration. And clearly you are putting in your time.
I find, like anything involving an art, there are always a million ways to approach it - however, I also find that practice like this (in music anyway) improved every one of my students and studio-mates, and obviously myself, so there's probably something to it.
I also love that you write longhand in notebooks. I do that on occasion, when I don't have a computer (like last night at the concert), but I've gotten so spoiled by the speed of typing that it's frustrating to me to write on a notebook. Also, I research stuff all the time while I'm writing - stupid little things, from the name of a particular product to canon details - so the internets are actually useful, if I don't use them to distract myself.
I think, with writing, it takes some distance to see if what we wrote is good. Even with music, you tend to be overly harsh about a performance you just gave, but it's over, then, you know? With writing, you're hanging on to a piece for a long time (a really long time for things like big bangs etc.) and you can edit yourself to death with stuff like that. I honestly think a bit of distance is the only way to see if what you've done is any good (or a trusted and objective beta).
And so, this is TOTALLY not the place for it (ah, getting on metafandom), but since you're here, I'm going to ask anyway... I've been tapped to be a captain on