-Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of 5 Rings

In the void, there is no such thing as good or bad. No one way of doing things is the correct way – or the wrong way. There’s just your way.

But the way of void isn’t easily accomplished. This spirit of Mushin (meaning no mind) can easily cancel itself out. Merely thinking of not thinking is thinking. Sound confusing?

Take the feeling of being in The Zone when you’re writing. Some days, you sit down with a blank screen before you and words just fall right onto the page. They come easily, you’re on a roll and soon, you sit back, satisfied at the great job you’ve done. You might’ve even created a masterpiece – or close.

Creating Barriers for Yourself

But when you start to over-think about your writing, you begin hitting obstacles. You stress over each word, the concept gets muddy and thoughts refuse to flow. Nothing feels right and you may feel self-conscious.

When this happens to me, I step back. It’s always easier to go back into a project after letting it sit for a while than it is to delve into it when you’re stressed and unable to function properly.

I breathe and clear my mind. I begin writing. It doesn’t matter what I write, just as long as my fingers move over the keyboard and I’m getting my thoughts out.

If you’re not sure about how good your work might be, have someone objective read it. I ask James to do so often. I may feel my work missed the point but I can’t see where it derails from the subject. His eyes pick out exactly what I’m trying to say.

Suddenly everything comes into focus. I can rewrite what I’ve done to be more in line with the message I want to convey, or I know what to adjust to make the writing achieve its goals.

Learn All You Can – and Learn Some More

The common thread throughout Musashi’s teachings is that the warrior should study as many other forms of warfare as possible in order to become the best warrior he can.

When we shut ourselves off and believe we’ve learned all there is to learn, we stop growing. We cease to open our minds to new ideas or ways of working.

To attain the way of the warrior, study everything. To attain the way of the writer, fully study other ways of writing.

Pulling It All Together

By combining the other elements of Wind, Water, Fire, and Ground, you learn how to calm your spirit, regain your focus, and channel your energies towards your goals.

When you can do so without thinking of the actions, you’ll find yourself in the true void. In this space, everything is much sharper. You have no doubt in your mind that you can accomplish what others might deem impossible.

No one technique has enough strength to stand on its own. That is like laying down a brick and calling it a house. You need other materials to create a home.

Ground keeps you stable. Water helps you adapt in the face of adversity. Fire puts passion and thought into action. Wind helps you define your own personal style.

Void is the universe that binds it all together.

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Void: The Way of Writing – Part 6 of 6 first appeared on Men with Pens
Copyright 2006 - 2011, All Rights Reserved.

It’s been windy in the desert lately. With no trees or tall buildings to block the wind, it sweeps across the land and gives us desert dwellers a good shake.

Wind is interesting to observe, though. It picks up bits and pieces from miles away to carry them to someplace new. The wind carries seeds from plants and drops them in places where new sprouts can flourish.

Like the wind, ideas have the ability to sweep through your thoughts to carry them to a new location.

Musashi says, “In strategy you must know the ways of other schools.” To grow as a writer, you need to study other schools of thought and see what the rest of the world is doing.

If you get caught in a rut, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Your writing grows stale.

My Way or the Highway

I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase often. Holding hard and fast to an idea only takes you so far. You might think your way is the right one, but you cut yourself off at the roots of creativity.

In writing, there is no right or wrong way to do anything – except when it comes to the rules of grammar and spelling. The rest is mostly subjective and left to personal preference.

In Musashi’s day, there were several schools of thought for training with swords. Some schools preferred the long sword, others the short sword, and others preferred to use both. Many of these schools thought their way was the better one. In reality, no single strategy was the best.

I’ve often told James to take the best and leave the rest. Take a look at how others do things. You don’t have to do the same, but rather take only what works for you. Pull the best from several resources.

Be like the wind passing through, picking up a few seeds here and there.

The Spirit of the Strong Long Sword

“If you rely on strength, when you hit the enemy’s sword you will inevitably hit too hard” – Miyamoto Musashi

Even the wind can be too strong. A heavy-handed approach isn’t always a good idea. Use some finesse. Trying to force your ideas down the throats of others only builds resentment. If you face someone just as strong in approach, you’re in for a long, exhausting battle that probably leads both of you anywhere.

Musashi also said, “There is no inner meaning in sword attitudes. You must simply keep your spirit true to realize the virtue of strategy.”

Don’t look for any single way to define your style. Ride the wind. Let your style evolve without forcing it. You might have to travel a great distance and go through many schools of thought before you find the system that works best for you.

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Wind: The Way of Writing – Part 5 of 6 first appeared on Men with Pens
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Traditionally, the element of fire represents passion and inspiration. But fire also represents action. In writing, these representations combine. Passion is the fire that inspires and moves us into action.

Musashi’s section on fire in the Book of 5 Rings deals directly with various strategies involved in Japanese swordplay. Each technique has a name and a specific set of moves that apply.

In writing, you’re not cutting down or outwitting an enemy. If anything, you’re trying to gain readership and influence people. So how can you stir the passion of your fire and use it to fuel your actions as a writer?

Small techniques won’t do when you need to make grand gestures to gain attention. Fire does nothing halfway.

Crossing at the Ford

Musashi titles his lesson well, teaching us to have faith in moving ahead and learning how to blaze our own trail. Musashi says, “It means setting sail even when your friends stay in the harbor.”

Following the crowd is fine, but sooner or later, you have to trust in your skills and say good-bye to the rest of the pack. You aren’t abandoning those who helped you along the way. Instead, you’re taking the lead.

You might be surprised at who follows.

Become the Enemy

Musashi teaches about the strategy of warfare. Writers don’t have any enemies but they do have competition. Study your competition and learn what makes them great.

What are the big-name writers doing right? What makes them so successful? How can you use the techniques they do?

Then do better. Add your own unique spin on the strategies and become the enemy.

Mingle

Network! Get out there and mingle with your peers. Pick their brains and learn from them. Find a mentor who has been there before and learn from that person. Get coaching and training to improve what you have so that you can be better.

Before you know it, people will be asking you what your secrets are.

Renew

In nature, fire brings new life. We view natural disasters as tragic events, but they do offer a very important renewal in life’s cycle. Fire burns dead trees and debris to make way for new growth, creating a healthy forest. Without destruction, forests smother themselves and limit their potential.

The same concept applies to your ideas and projects. If something isn’t working right, tear it down. Start over. Don’t be afraid to scrap an article, a chapter, or a website in order to make it better.

The Body of a Rock

“When you have mastered the way of strategy you can suddenly make your body like a rock, and ten thousand things cannot touch you. This is the body of a rock. You will not be moved.” – Oral Tradition

Rocks cannot burn and be eliminated by fire. When you remain focused on your goals, nothing sways you from that path. Stick to it, don’t give up, and achieve your dreams.

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Fire: The Way of Writing – Part 4 of 6 first appeared on Men with Pens
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When you run across a difficult situation, it’s so easy to panic and lose your head. Losing control is also the easy solution when the moment seems lost.

Musashi said “Even when your spirit is calm, do not let your body relax, and when your body is relaxed do not let your spirit slacken.” In the world of freelance writing, you have to stay on your toes if you want to keep your head above water.

Show No Pain

During my days of karate, one of the hardest lessons for the white belts to learn was the concept of showing no pain. We’re not talking about the broken bones or emergency-room type pain but the little aches and pains that are a normal part of a tough workout.

I have to admit that I was a hardcore martial artist and went to the extreme, continuing to train with a cast on my wrist after I broke it during a training session.

Showing no pain means pushing through despite the hurt. The moment you let another person see you sweat, he or she might view you as weak. If you complain about every little ache or pain in your business, clients won’t have the best impression of you. You’ll come off as a whiner and difficult to work with. You’ll be seen as negative.

If you maintain the proper attitude and accept everything in stride, you’ll stand a better chance of increasing your credibility and gain a reputation of being able to handle anything that comes along.

Of course, a strong reputation does have its drawbacks. People will have high expectations and you’ll have to constantly live up to them.

That’s okay, though. Take each day slow and steady and learn when to say no.

No Design, No Conception

This is one of the most difficult concepts to put into practice. “No design, no conception” means staying calm in the face of adversity.

Have you ever been in a crisis situation where your mind goes on auto-pilot and you just react? When you run into a serious problem, over-thinking can cost time and money. Sometimes, you have to stop thinking and just do. Your words and your actions need to be spontaneous. Instead of fighting the tide, flow with it.

The concept of water means slowing down and taking situations step-by- step without being overwhelmed by the flood of problems. Musashi said, “Step by step, walk the thousand mile road…Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.”

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Water: The Way of Writing – Part 3 first appeared on Men with Pens
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In the day of the samurai, warriors were more than just tough dudes slinging swords around. Part of a young warrior’s lessons included the learning about the written word as well as warfare.

The pen and the sword were reserved for nobility. Many young men dedicated their lives to perfecting techniques in both areas. These activities were more than about fighting or writing poetry; they were the foundation of discipline. They provided balance between the body and the mind of a well-rounded individual.

Two Swords or One?

A freelancer must have discipline. As a freelancer, you must progress towards deadlines without someone looking over your shoulder to make sure you get the job done. You have to know how to budget your money and your time. You also need to gain experience and expand your horizons.

Musashi used to warn his students against having a favorite weapon. Preferring a bow, a sword, or any weapon in particular meant limitation.

The same applies to writing. Don’t limit yourself to writing only what you know. Step out of your comfort zone to tackle a subject you’ve never written about before or a type of writing you’ve never tried to master.

Skill, Talent, and Then Some

You may have unswerving focus, talent, and strong writing skills, but if you can’t gain a client’s trust, you have nothing at all. Your success always depends on what your clients think of you and your services.

If you’re arrogant, irresponsible, sloppy, or so laidback that you constantly miss deadlines, you’re screwed. Your attitude is your worst enemy – or your biggest asset.

If a client really likes the way you stay in touch, deliver on time, and do everything you can to make him or her happy, you might end up with repeat business simply because you’re wonderful to deal with – even if your work is borderline acceptable for quality.

Have a Strong Strategy

The focus of Musashi’s Ground book is on strategy. If you’re planning on taking the plunge into freelancing, you’d better have a strategy. Diving in without any water in the pool is a sure way to crack your head.

Be smart. Make sure you understand that working for yourself takes twice as much discipline as working for someone else.

Also, keep in mind that not everyone can work from home. When one company I worked for sent everyone home to work, some people tried to beat the system. They’d leave their IM on to make it look like they were busy, when they were hard at work being couch potatoes.

Others understood how to stay focused and get the work done. It was business as usual, just from a different location. Those people were the ones that were good, strong workers, and they kept their jobs. Some even moved on to better jobs, like me.

Plan your strategy for success. Our e-book, Writing For the Web, looks at the skills, talent, and a few other extra ingredients to create an indispensable freelance writer.

(Reprinted from JCME Web Content Writer Tips )

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Ground: The Way Of Writing – Part 2 of 6 first appeared on Men with Pens
Copyright 2006 - 2011, All Rights Reserved.

While cleaning off my bookshelves, I came across a book I hadn’t read in years: Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Rings. I bought it back when I studied martial arts in the mid-80s.

At the time, the Book of Five Rings was a big hit in the corporate world. Musashi’s teachings proved useful in the art of kenjitsu (the sword) and in the business world as well. Many CEOs studied his writings on tactics meant for warfare, applying them to the boardroom.

Some people saw this as insight to the Japanese mindset. They studied Musashi in an attempt to understand what made the Japanese such successful businessmen.

How could I apply Musashi’s lessons to writing?

Musashi stresses throughout his book that reading about how to do something isn’t enough. Study combined with practical application is the only way to improve skills.

You could read all the content in the world on how to write and promote yourself as a writer, but unless you actively put this knowledge into practice, you’ll get nowhere.

Musashi breaks down his lessons into five sections he calls books: Ground, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void. Each of these elements represents the various aspects of battle. I want to explore each of these five elements to see how they relate to writing.

Here’s a taste of what’s to come:

Ground: Building your foundation

You have to start somewhere, right? What skills do you need to write well? What can you do to build up the necessary aspects in yourself that you need to make it in the writing business?

Water: Adaptability

Not everything goes as planned. Floods happen, dry spells starve your business (or your creativity.) The ebb and flow of tides occurs regularly. How do you adapt to the obstacles that arise?

Fire: Taking Action

Timing is everything, and you need to know when to take action and when to step back. Do you let someone else dictate how the game is played, or do you take command of the rules? What fires your passion and helps you spread it across the world?

Wind: Style

Being unique in the face of millions of others around you is difficult. What’s your own personal style? Have you found it yet, or are you still searching? Do the winds blow you where they will, or do use them and set sail?

The Void: Attitude

How do you pull together all the elements and make them work for you to achieve your goals and ultimately, success?

Much like martial arts, writing is more than a job or a hobby; it’s a lifestyle. If you want to be successful in your writing endeavors, you have to live, breathe, and eat words. You can’t sit back on the sidelines and hope to be noticed.

If your words stay as thoughts in your head, how is the world going to know how great you are?

Welcome to my writing dojo.

(Reprinted from JCME Web Content Writer Tips )

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Another rockin' post from Men with Pens!
The Way of Writing – Part 1 of 6 first appeared on Men with Pens
Copyright 2006 - 2011, All Rights Reserved.