Simple Things

I'm going to use a skating referece here, but hang on... it leads to some writing stuff.

Some of my favorite moves in skating are quite simple in the grand scheme of people jumping in the air and spinning four times before landing on one edge of a thin blade.

Some of my favs? Kurt Browning's change of edge in his camel spin. He does it all the time. He starts the spin on a back inside edge, and after a few rotations, he flips over onto a forward outside edge. It's probably my all time favorite move and it's pretty simple. Another favorite? Paul Wylie's spread eagle. How about Michelle Kwan's spiral?

What makes these simple moves so amazing is that the people do them don't look at them as simple. They put every ounce of energy into making sure that simple element is the best that it can be. That's why a simple change of edge in Kurt Browning's camel spin catches my eye every time.

I think it's the same with writing. Sometimes we just wiz through the simple stuff to get to the things that we find interesting and that challenge us... But putting effort into the things that we find simple or boring is what brings everything together. Thinking about and exectuting those simple elements well keeps things flowing and keeps you sharp. And that well executed element that you refused to approach as simple might catch someone's eye.

Yes, Kurt Browning was the first person to land a quad. But that wasn't all he did. He wasn't a one trick pony. It's those little things -- like that little change of edge -- and the effort he puts in that made him a four time world champion. He didn't get there by breezing through the edge changes and step sequences waiting for his chance to jump.