Power of Ten

So have you heard about Malcolm Gladwell's new book 'Outliers'? He's one of those modern geniuses whose books really make you think (he previously published 'The Tipping Point' and 'Blink'). He also has the all important genius hair - the look of Einstein, as if all those ideas have sent his follicles spinning wild and free. This time round he is considering the secrets of success - and he has a lot of interesting points very relevant to writers.

One of the most challenging ideas is the sheer amount of practice it takes to master your field - Gladwell reckons 10,000 hours, or roughly ten years. How long have you been writing - do you reckon you are there yet? Ten years ago I had just been told book one was 'almost there' and needed a little work. Hmmm.

His final point is good advice for those (like me), who have just printed out the first draft of their next books: “Achievement is talent plus preparation,” Gladwell writes in Outliers– but he’s out to show just how much more important preparation is than talent. The thing I keep coming back to, after 18 months on this book, is the work thing. I always say to young writers who are struggling, well, how many drafts do you do? And then I say, what, you only do three drafts? I do ten. I'm hoping this third manuscript is going to be lean and beautiful like dear Bo in '10' by early next year - but right now it's bulky, out of shape and needs a lot of work - rather like Big Momma:

TODAY'S PROMPT: How many drafts do you normally go through before feeling your work is 'finished'? Do you think there's any such thing as overnight success? The Penguin Cafe Orchestra's famous recording is a great example of the importance of practice and preparation - pulling all the elements together to make an iconic recording. How do you feel about your work - is it a virtuoso solo or a team effort? Why not take some time today and think about your ideas about success - what it means to you, and how you will know you have achieved it with your work?