10,000 Hours to Mastery

They say it takes 10,000 hours to be a master at anything. I’m not exactly sure where that number came from, I guess it’s just one of those things people say. And I understand the logic behind it. It does take a lot of work and a lot of determination to master any skill. More time than most people want to put in. 

That’s why masters of anything are so rare.

I am not about to call myself a master of anything (nor do think I have put 10,000 hours into anything) but it is certainly something I aspire to when it comes to my writing. Though I’m not sure if I believe anyone can truly be a master of writing, as a artform it is constantly evolving. What readers want, what they expect, even the words we use and the way we use them, is always changing. But that doesn’t stop me from trying. Even if I end up falling short, someone a little short of a master is still pretty damn good.

This is what I’m doing to try and work towards my 10,000 hours to master writing. Read. Both books of fiction and craft. I think reading fiction books, especially books in my genre is so vital to increasing my knowledge. Not just good books, but the bad ones too. There is so much that can be learned about the craft of writing from reading other books. What worked, what didn’t, what made you love a character, what made you hate them, how the authors style set them apart and why you loved or hated it. I’m often amazed by how much I pick up from reading without even realizing it. And as far as homework goes, it’s not to exactly a hardship to have to read a bunch of amazing books.

Reading craft books is also important (though I won’t lie, it’s not nearly as much fun). I try to read at least one craft book a year. Ones on writing, storytelling, plotting. My writing process is always evolving, and I love to get a different perspective and see how others are do what I love. All their tips might not be for me, but it’s impossible to tell when you might stumble upon that one idea that changes everything.

Take courses. Getting to mastery is about always learning. I love to take new classes, to learn a new tip or a new technique that can improve my writing. Even new knowledge that can expand and deepen my world. I don’t see myself ever writing a gory serial killer thriller, but you never know when I might write a character obsessed with murder podcasts, and all those police procedural workshops I attended will come in handy.

Listen to podcasts. I love to listen to podcasts by other authors. To hear what is working for them and what they are struggling with. Not only does it give me new ideas, I love the camaraderie that I get hearing about others in my profession. It’s comforting to know that others struggle with that exact thing that I have been struggling with. Or have a big success in a genre or project I’m considering pursuing. Some of my favorite podcasts are Six Figure Authors, Rage Against the Manuscript, and the Self-Publishing Show. Though I’m sure there are many more fantastic ones to discover.

Watch YouTube videos. Just like classes and podcasts there is a whole array of authors that create videos for YouTube. Content on what they are working on, what they are struggling with, how they are getting stuff done (these are my favorite, I’m a huge productivity nerd), even craft. There is a whole world to be discovered and explored on YouTube, and I love to do it.

Critiques. Getting critiques, or receiving a beta read, can be incredibly helpful. Getting a fresh new set of eyes on your work can help you see your writing more clearly than you could ever do on your own. Whether it’s a character trait, a writing crutch, or a confusing passage, getting feedback is vital to improve. Sometimes critiques might just find errors in this manuscript, but often they can bring to my attention bad habits and crutches I lean on far too often. Not just helping me improve this one work, but to improve my writing from this story going forward.

Just having a friend look over a few chapters or receiving a beta reader on the beginning of a book can be so eye opening. Though it can be tempting to skip this step, and plow through to the end (especially in this high-pressured publishing environment) I have learned from experience that nothing is more valuable to my work, and my mastery of this art, than feedback. No matter how hard it might be to hear sometimes.

Not only do I learn from receiving critiques and betas, but I learn from giving them as well. Seeing where someone else is succeeding that might be a struggle for me, or where someone else might be struggling that I am as well, can be valuable. Without the emotional attachment to the work, it can be easier to see the cause of the issue, as well as ways to apply it to my own work. It can offer the opportunity to meet other authors, and find others to not make you feel so alone in this crazy writing thing we are all doing together. Writing can be lonely, it’s nice to have someone to go to when the struggle gets too hard.

Edits. Getting edits from a professional is invaluable. My writing really improved when I started to receive edits from my publishers. True honest feedback, not tainted by friendship or imposter syndrome, is worth its weight in gold. If you get the opportunity to receive such valuable insight, take it with both hands.

Network with other authors. I am always amazed by how much I can learn from fellow authors. Even just having a writing group to bounce ideas off of can be a huge help. It’s impossible to do everything yourself. To go to every course, read every book, experience every conference. Having other authors to bounce ideas off of, to listen to and to commune with goes a long way to filling in those holes that might exist in your knowledge. We are all different, we perceive things differently, and I love to get those other perspectives.

And of course, writing. There is no other way to learn than to sit down and get your fingers on those keys. To write the book, to find the processes and stories that are working for you. The ways that don’t. To figure out how to push through a sticky situation. To persevere even when it gets hard. And then open a blank document and do it all over again.

These are the ways I’m working towards my 10,000 hours to master writing. And becoming the best writer I can be. What ways are you working towards your goals? What skills are you trying to master?Tell me in the comments below.