Most of you that follow me on Twitter know that on occasion I sub teach at my local school district. Today I had the pleasure of subbing at my daughter’s Kindergarten class. Of course, she’s not there this week – in Hawaii with her mom!
I was waiting for the little ones to arrive and noticed that the teacher had four double-sided round signs hanging from different spots on the ceiling. As I read each of them it occured to me that these are the philosophies that we should not just consider in our lives, but in our writing as well.
Eight Pillars
- Be Trustworthy – and do what you say you will do. For us writers that have relationships with editors and agents and clients, this is especially true. If you agree to a deadline, stick to it. If you make some kind of writing promise, keep it. This also applies to the readers of your fiction. Craft your stories keeping in mind that your readers are trusting you to deliver a good story.
- Show Fairness – in everything you do. When quoting for services, are you giving a fair price for the value received? Do you take advantage of naivety? When you write a new blog post, is it a fair representation of the topic?
- Be Caring – and think about the needs of others. Our society (here in the US, anyway) promotes a certain self-centeredness. What’s in it for me? take the time to consider the others who may be impacted in your writing ventures. Can you give a little, even when you could get by without doing so? Do you respond with thoughtfulness to the commentators on your blog?
- Show Perseverance – and keep trying even when you want to give up. This mantra should be posted in every writer’s space. Develop your thick skin, eschew rejection and do what your heart is telling you.
- Show Integrity – and do what you know is right. If you keep this basic foundation in place, you will find your life to be rich and fulfilled. Integrity is in limited supply these days. All the blog biggies say it’s important to stand out from the crowd. Wanna stand out? Make certain you display integrity.
- Be a Good Citizen – in home and community. If you have a family that supports you in your writing endeavors, be sure and let them know that you are appreciative. Don’t take advantage of their good graces by neglecting family time and chores – life is about balance, spend time with your family. Be a good cotizen in your community by offering to write the newsletter for your neighborhood watch group, or by offering to set up a blog for a local scout troop. It’s important.
- Show Self-Discipline – and keep your emotions, words and actions under control. We all have bad days. Don’t take it out on the world. When things are at their worst, it’s most important to keep your cool. Read my post on The Art of Being Nice to see a little story of how I wrecked a perfectly good relationship online because I let my emotions get the best worst of me.
- Show Respect – and value people’s feelings and properties. Being respectful is easy, and pays big dividends. Respect your editor’s opinions and your agent’s advice. Respect the craft and give it your all – each and every time.
There you have it. I’m proud that my 5 year old is being exposed to these tenets of a good life. I try to keep these things in mind as a matter of course, and I encourage you to do the same.
Er… I was trying to think something smart to say, but it looks like you have all bases covered… only that, if I were to teach again (God may save the kids then from my boring classes)…
I would make a project for the kids, a paper castle or something like that with those eight pillars. And then ask them to make little cuts in each one of those. That’s a lie, that’s a promise you did not keep, that’s somebody you didn’t care for, that’s something you took when nobody was looking…
Miguel de Luis´s last blog post..School…but no classes
These are a great foundation for both a writing career and a life, George. Nice post.
Sharon Hurley Hall´s last blog post..Star Trek Lessons On The Writing Life
Nice, simple, straightforward. Same reason the Scout law has stayed with me for so many years. Nice to see such a clear message being taught at such an early age.
Fred H Schlegel´s last blog post..Physics, Ideation, Community & Entanglement
This reminds me of Robert Fulghum’s “All I Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten.” It’s true — I have a son finishing up kindergarten — that we carry the many of the basic skills they learn for life. It amazes me how life after high school can remain like high school.
Meryl Evans´s last blog post..How to Manage Your Time with Social Networks
Hi Miguel,
Nice to see you here, thanks for dropping by.
I’m going to pass on your idea to the kindergarten teacher. What a great idea. Brilliant.
George
Hi Sharon, and thank you.
I’m glad Maddy is getting these presented to her at a young age.
George
Hi Fred,
Actually, I considered putting a scouting pic as the image for the post.
George
Meryl,
It is sad to see that high school sticks. It seems to take about 20 years for the high school mentality to leech out for so many folks.
George
What wonderful, universal pillars. It’s amazing what we can learn in Kindergarten. Now to keep bringing that out to the rest of the world…another project for writers.
I’ve nothing to add to this solid list.
Making a good account of yourself with these 8 pillars can be hard. But I’m making good progress. Getting there, George. One solid pillar at a time.
jangeronimo´s last blog post..Bah! You Can Curtsy Now – I’m an Influential Blogger
Another great reminder that we did in fact learn everything we needed to know in kindergarten.
Matt
Matt | Small Biz Bee´s last blog post..The Lost Law of Branding
For me the #1 trait of successful writers is Perseverance! Resilience! The ability to get rejected over and over again, and keep sending your ideas out anyway!
I don’t recall learning that in kindergarten….but it’s a great life lesson.
Cheers,
Laurie
Laurie PK´s last blog post..How to Make Money Blogging for Writers
George,
I must confess to throwing your name about in this Absolute Writer’s thread: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142463
Laurie
Laurie PK´s last blog post..Writing Help for Common Non-Fiction and Fiction Mistakes
Being a decent human being is a great achievement.
Paisley´s last blog post..The Generation Gap
Laurie,
Thanks so much for the shout out. It does mean a lot to me. I thoroughly enjoy your blog – I’ve learned more from you than just about any other blog I’ve read.
Cheers
George
Paisley,
I can think of no greater achievement.
George
Jan,
Your pillars are solid, my friend. I’ve learned that about you in a very short period of time.
George
Good stuff George, four and five resonate for me particularly at the moment. I’m in the process of following my literary heart to try and ensure I maintain my integrity.
Cryptic, eh?
Sorry about that (more news soon), but basically i think it’s so important to check in with yourself from time to time to make sure you’re doing what you’re doing for the right reasons.
So yes, good list!
Iain Broome´s last blog post..An interview with Jean Hannah Edelstein (Part one)
George, this is wonderful. I have a really similar post in the works for Writer Dad, but now it needs reshaping. You have said all that needs to be said.
Writer Dad´s last blog post..How to Easily Keep Your Family Connected in 20 Minutes a Day
Iain,
Sometimes it boils down to faith and a sense of who is good, which is equal to their actions being fundamentally good.
IMHO, Sir, you should have little worry.
George
Sean,
Thanks for the kind words, and all I can say is that any post you do could run circles around me, so get on wi’ yo bad self. Serious.
Cheers!
George
#5 is my favorite.
Bloggers write about a lot of things. If we don’t write with integrity it could come back an bite us in the butt on day.
Debo Hobo´s last blog post..Flying High Friday-How To Apply For A New Passport
LOL, I will be getting on wit my bad self shortly. I know the angle I want now. I just need time to write it. I’m planning to include the rare video, just to spice it up!
Have a great weekend.
Writer Dad´s last blog post..The Sands of Time
Hi Debo!
Glad to see you here. Sharon is a good friend and I love her blog too!
Integrity is so important and I think it is the one that too many folks keep on a back burner.
Cheers!
George
Writer Dad,
I’m looking forward to it. I also just realized I hadn’t subscribed to your site (what the heck was I thinking) so I’m headed over now.
Cheers
George
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