“Swimming, Writing and Being Physically Fit”

Recently a friend of mine pointed out there were some similarities between swimming and writing.  After I finished blinking my eyes, I asked him to explain.

“Think of it like this,” he went on.  “What does it take to make a good swimmer?”

I ticked off a few traits: stamina, upper body strength, sense of rhythm, coordination and timing.

“Okay, let’s compare this with what it takes to make a good writer.  Take stamina, for example.  Anybody who’s ever written a book or a novel knows a thing or two about stamina.  It often takes months, sometimes years, to do that.  Somehow, a writer has to be able to sustain an imaginative effort over that period of time.  How do they do that?”

“They’re obsessed with the story and the characters, “I replied.  “Maybe it’s like doing a triathlon.  You do it to see if you can do it.”

Then my friend mentioned strength, specifically upper body strength.  “Swimmers have powerful upper bodies, especially in their shoulders.  Swimming is mostly upper body work anyway. Writers need their own kind of strength, you see.  Unless you dictate your words, you use your hands and fingers like all the time.  Flexibility and durability are critical.  Plus you’re hunched over a computer or a desk all day…what if you didn’t have upper body strength and flexibility?  You’d be like an old man, forever hunched over and bent down.  Don’t underestimate the importance of good posture, even while you’re typing.”

“Okay, I can buy that.  That’s two areas of similarity.  What about a sense of rhythm?  When I swim, I can tire myself out really quickly if I’m fighting myself for strokes.  But when I get into a smooth rhythm, it’s like heaven.  It’s like I’m a fish.  The water just glides over and around me.”

“Exactly,” my friend said.  “Think of when you’re writing and the words just come naturally, the precise word exactly when you need it.  That’s a writer’s rhythm.  It comes from preparation, practice, lots of hours just writing and writing and writing.  Plus a lot of reading.  You’ve got to store up a lot of energy to be a good swimmer and release it in just the right way, at the right time.  Same with words, for a writer.  Words are to a writer what muscle energy is to a swimmer.  It’s what makes you go.”

“Then there’s coordination and timing,” I pointed, right on cue.  “Any swimmer will tell you that stroke mechanics, turns, everything comes together better when it’s all in synch.  I couldn’t begin to tell you how often I banged my feet on the wall trying to master flip turns.  That one is for sure all about timing.”

My friend shrugged, smiled with understanding.  “You’re really on top of this, aren’t you?  Same with writers.  Coordination and timing are critical to writing.  When do I introduce this new character?  What’s he supposed to say?  Maybe this is just part of storytelling generally, having a sense of when to tell and when to show, when to narrate and when to dramatize.  It’s all in the wrist, by the way.  A writer has to juggle a lot of balls and make it look effortless, to keep the story flowing and the reader interested.  Drop a few balls, pull back the curtains and reveal a few nuts and bolts and you know what happens to a reader.”

“Vamos,” I reply, displaying my erudite knowledge of Spanish.  “Gosh darn it, you’re  absolutely right.  Swimming and writing do have a lot in common.”

“Body and mind,” my friends said, wisely.  “They both have to work together.  They’re a unified whole.  Get the body working right, with exercise, proper nutrition and sleep, appropriate breaks and you’ve got a well-oiled machine.  You’ll be ready for your Olympic tryout.”

“I’ll settle for telling a good story,” I come back.  “Let’s not get carried away.”

And that’s how I learned an important lesson.  Maybe it’s a bit of a stretch to compare swimming and writing but the underlying message is still important.  You won’t do good work if you feel bad.

Word Shed is taking a one-week hiatus after this post…just a little vacation time. The next post to The Word Shed comes on May 8, 2017.

See you then.

Phil B.