In keeping with my admiration for a good portion of the writing of "Friday Night Lights" season one, I've come across more things writers can learn from jocks. I know it seems athletes and creative types are opposites but the thing we have in common is the desire to master something. They seek to master their body and a sport, you seek to master your mind and a craft. I've had experience in sports and see there is a significant overlap in how ones goes about achieving these objectives.

Mental Attitude

You won't get better if you don't think you will. You can't ever be the writer you want to be if you don't believe it will happen. That won't stop you from trying but it will probably stop you from getting there. When you come to the writing practice it's important that you come with positivity and encouragement. If you are getting negativity from the outside you will need to change your environment, you need a world that nurtures. You need the equivalent of an football-obsessed town on your side.

Keep In Shape With Other Sports

Writing isn't everything. In fact there will be a significant amount of time in your life where you will not be able to write. Don't feel you need to be writing stories all the time, you can follow other passions when you feel some burnout coming. We don't have a writing season so we have to follow our inner clock to know when it's time to take a break. If you have other creative endeavors you feel a passion for, you needn't neglect them all the time to keep at the writing grindstone. These other passions will free your mind of the writing thing and that's often when breakthroughs can come. Sometimes you might even find some kind of connection between the two activities that makes you better at both.

Don't Neglect Your Studies

Are you constantly reading novels, screenplays, or writing books? Is your every waking moment about hearing interviews with authors or behind the scenes of movie making? You can safely slow down and give your other interests some play time. You needn't stop reading that car magazine because it doesn't seem writerly enough or seems to conflict with your writing passion. These are the things that make us people: interests, quirks, passions. Writing is a conduit for yourself so keep in touch with who you are and it will serve your writing.

Your Muscles Need To Rest

Just as athletes take years to build up strong muscles you can't expect to learn story and writing principles in a short amount of time. It took me 10 years to understand classical storytelling structure and I'm still learning nuances to this day. You can't cram your writing studies, your brain will only hold so much before it shuts off. So don't feel you need to constantly be feeding your brain more writing how-to information when you haven't assimilated what you've already read. Give your writing muscles plenty of rest between workouts.

Watch Your Games

I hope you are reading what you write. Not only should read what you write, but compare it to what you want your writing to be like. You won't be able to reach the result of a certain kind of writing if you don't have a reference. You should be reading your stuff as much as you are writing it. Don't only read it just after you wrote it, give it some time and come back with a fresh perspective when possible. The important part is to get familiar with what you do and have a sense of how it stacks up and do what it takes to make it like you want it.

Emulate Habits Of The Best

Champions tend to do things a certain way and if you do likewise you can reap similar results. Champions don't quit, push themselves further, and generally live the game. They know it's a marathon and not a sprint so they find that balance between life and the game. Consistent action, frequent appraisal of results, and a willingness to try again when it didn't work. Find out who are your favorite writers and see which of their techniques might help you raise your game.

I still don't watch the Superbowl but I feel a kinship with those football players. They are willing to strip away the unessential aspects of their life and put maximum effort toward a single goal. If writers took only a little of their work habits and applied them to their craft they'd find significant inroads being made.