I was a gigantic “fail” at football but scored 5 useful writing tips on the way to the try line
How a big blunder in a footy game taught me to be a better writer
Someone passed me the ball and I started running like my life depended on it.
I don’t think I’d ever had the ball before. Nobody trusted me with it, and for good reason.
But at this moment, the ball was in MY hands, and I was determined to reach the try line.
I was about 6 years old, dressed in the red and white rugby league top of a North Parramatta junior footballer, Sydney Australia.
Nobody was going to stop me!
A kid from the other team tried to grab me but tripped.
RUN!
Another tried to tackle me around the ankles but I stepped around him quicker than he could bring me down.
FASTER!
A crowd of 20 parents on the sideline cheered louder. The coach shouted encouragement.
I was headed for the try line!
NEARLY THERE!
Just a few metres more… Nobody near me!
This was MY moment!…
UNTIL I did the unthinkable, the unforgettably WRONG thing…
I put the ball down on the WRONG LINE! 10 yards short of the ACTUAL try line.
At that moment, I still thought I’d scored, jumping up to celebrate…
The shouts from the sideline quickly turned from “keep running” to “oh no” and longer versions of “noooooooooo!”
When I realised what I had done, I was devastated. Even at age 6, I knew I had failed! Rugby league was over for me! Where could I hide?
Looking back now, I’m proud of myself. I gave it a go, and though doing something silly (in hindsight, quite funny if I’m honest), at least I gave it a go!
Attempting something in the hope of succeeding is always better than strategising from a sideline where you can never fail.
Which brings me to five key principles I follow as a writer… all thanks to that horrible moment on the football field!
1. It’s better to fail on the sporting field than to score on the chalkboard
The thing I learnt that day was to at least get involved and give things a go.
As a writer, I’ve had plenty of misses and fails. But I’ve only had successes when I’ve turned up and participated.
Some of the projects I’ve worked on were not my first or second preferences. But I did them anyway and made the best of what I could do in the circumstances.
You may not always have a writing gig you are in love with, but put your love of writing into everything you do, and it will pay off.
Turn up and participate rather than staying on the sidelines. Readers need to see your words and learn from your experience and insights.
“One hour of life, crowded to the full with glorious action, and filled with noble risks, is worth whole years of those mean observances of paltry decorum, in which men steal through existence, like sluggish waters through a marsh, without either honour or observation.” Walter Scott
2. Set your sites on the real goal
My epic fail in football taught me early about goals: Right ones and wrong ones, to be specific.
As a young kid trying out a sport, I thought I knew where the try line was but had it wrong, and therefore “scored’ on the wrong spot, way too short of the actual goal.
In your writing, you need to keep the goal in mind and head towards that. If it’s a book, break it down into achievable chunks and work your way towards the goal. If it’s a blog, have that goal written down, in front of your eyes as often as possible.
And if you score too early, on the wrong line occasionally, get up quickly and you might just beat the defenders chasing after you!
3. Don’t be too quick to celebrate
It’s tempting to submit a story or a manuscript and think how wonderful you are. But wait for the response of the editor or trusted colleague. There may still be a lot of work to do, and you don’t want to embarrass yourself with partying early.
When Penguin Random House offers you a book deal, sure — go ahead and have a celebration! But until then, keep, writing, thinking, editing, plotting your pieces.
4. Do your research before you get on the field
I really should have had a look at the dimensions of the field back in the junior footy game. I should probably blame the coach if I wasn’t a forgiving person!
In writing, do your research on the topic you’re exploring. There’s nothing worse than publishing a piece and hearing criticism that identifies blind spots or some level of ignorance on a topic.
Research first, second and third. Then write. And when it’s time to revise, research again through fact-checking. (That’s the journalist in me.)
5. The laughter of others is louder when it’s played back
My biggest takeaway from that moment at age 6 is to stop replaying the laughs in my head.
I remember the day well, and it was painful to go through the ridicule of fellow players and parents on the sideline.
But at some point, I needed to decide to stop listening to all the laughs and criticisms.
In truth, those laughs were worse when I replayed them in my head. Somehow, even at my young age, I made a decision to turn them off, like a dial on my forehead that only I could see.
It’s a cognitive therapy that has helped me be a better person, writer and thinker.
About Paul Gallagher: I’m a writer with origins in newspaper journalism and editing. My words are mostly about life, language, politics, faith, and Multiple Sclerosis (the latter unfortunately not by choice). See my site, sign up for more words and see what I wrote through Random House.
