Write Like A Champion - Guest Post From Author Alex Lukeman

Write Like A Champion

I saw an interesting interview program the other day, quite by accident. I normally don't watch TV, much less news and "personality" shows. I watch NetFlix. Right now I'm hooked on "Downton Abbey", an amazing piece of English television, a genuine visual novel masterpiece. But more about that another time. Suffice it to say that if you want to see how writing turns what could be a boring yarn turn into an amazing study of people, character and motivation, watch that show.

The program I watched featured George Clooney, Warren Buffet and Bon Jovi. Quite a mix. All very wealthy, all doing the TV bit to show you around their digs, and very nice digs they were, too. What I noticed was that Warren Buffet had a sign over the door in his office: "Play Like A Champion". That is a copy of the sign which hangs in the Notre Dame locker room. Knute Rockne. The Four Horsemen. All of that glory and tradition and, yes, championship. Success at the highest level.

Okay. Segue to Bon Jovi, who has only sold 350,000,000 records or so and earned a billion dollars doing it. Not bad for a kid from New Jersey, where he still lives (not in the same house, though). He took the TV audience on a little tour, including his recording studio. There on the wall was...

You guessed it. A sign that said "Play Like A Champion".

Maybe these folks are on to something. Clooney didn't have a sign but I think it's safe to say he's made it to the Champion category. If he can act like a champion, if WB can invest like a champion, if Bon Jovi can play like a champion, you and I can write like a champion. Like Champions, to be grammatically correct. That got me thinking about champions and what makes them so. What do champions do?

• They never quit
• They take all obstacles as challenges to be met and overcome
• They never stop improving their skills
• They never stop studying and learning
• They never think it's "good enough"
• They always believe in their ability
• They see setbacks as an opportunity to get better at what they do
• They listen to people who know more than they do
• They seek coaching and direction
• They give everything they have to their field
• They stay totally focused
• They are generous in victory and gracious in defeat
• They never buy into the idea that it is someone else's fault if they fail
• They always explore new avenues to accomplish their goals

What are your thoughts about what it takes to be a champion? It's clear to me that becoming a successful writer means thinking like a champion. So I now have that sign right on my computer.

Write Like A Champion

It's a hell of a challenge.

I've been writing since I was twelve. I've done a lot of traveling and been in a lot of strange situations. I was in the Marines and spent years on the road as a professional folk singer. You could say that I bring a varied life experience to my writing.

I live in Northern California in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains. I like riding old, fast motorcycles, sipping Barbados rum and playing guitar, usually not at the same time.

I write action/adventure thrillers. WHITE JADE is the first in a series featuring the PROJECT, a covert, small intelligence unit reporting only to the President. THE LANCE is second in the series, the third is THE SEVENTH PILLAR. BLACK HARVEST is Book Four. Book Five, THE TESLA SECRET, is now available. Book Six will come out sometime in 2013, probably about mid-year.

Video trailers are fun and you can see mine on this page. If you have difficulty loading the video trailer for White jade, here's the YouTube link: http://youtu.be/4TfTMEoXWBY

For more, please visit my blog at http://www.alexlukeman.blogspot.com or my website at www.alexlukeman.com.