Writing Tidbits Part III: “It’s a game of inches.”

Journey of the Inch Worm

The other day my son used the phrase, “It’s a game of inches.” I can’t remember the context, but the phrase stuck. I asked him where he’d heard it and he said, “You’ve got to be kidding. You’ve never seen the movie with Al Pacino where he gives the big pep talk to his team?” I had to confess I had not. So we promptly got on YouTube and he showed me the clip from the movie “Any Given Sunday.”

The coach, played by Al Pacino, delivers a straight from the heart message to the young athletes who are in danger of slipping into apathy at a critical moment. In his message, which is now a film classic, the coach begins with a revealing account of his own patchwork past with failure. That quality of vulnerability allows him to get down to the core of what pushes him forward. It is a crucial moment of connection and is integral to the kind of communication that finds its target. What he brings to the table in this moment is his hard won understanding of the kind of grit it takes to claw out of inertia and gain and then keep traction, one inch at a time.

We may not be experiencing the same critical mass in our writing efforts on any given Sunday, but we certainly have the same need to put that principle into practice, to learn that it’s not the hail-Marys that save us, but the “first downs” won by mere inches that will move us down the field. And we can find strategies to help us gain those few inches, setting ourselves up for the next “down.”

A tool that has helped me to gain a few inches is the practice of leaving my writing session with an easy entrance for the next time I face the page. In that way my writing can be kept warm in anticipation during a pause rather than allowing the creative engine to grow cold. With a little forethought we can leave a thread of intention to grab hold of upon our return.

Which brings me to the other saying that my son surprised me with that same day, “…if the juice is worth the squeeze.” We can use this concept as a tool for prioritizing our time and effort. We might ask, “How much investment is going into this portion of my writing pursuit? What direction is it taking?” and “What is the return?” These small tools and others like them help with the grit of everyday effort.

For me, it’s about understanding that life itself is a game of inches, especially if you’re looking at long-term intentions, finishing a book or tackling a lifestyle change. I seem to default to the hail -Mary, but playing the game by inches is different. And that’s how I’ll win, moving the ball down the field a few inches at a time. It’s not as romantic as the hail-Mary and Lord knows the romance of writing is an all important factor in getting me out of bed in the morning. I’ve learned enough to know that my idealism and my pragmatism need to find a way to become partners. Dreams need to find expression in reality. We all want to win the game of becoming our best selves. That is most likely to happen one inch at a time.

Where do you need to gain traction?

Writing Prompt For The Week: Critical Moment