Lessons learned from billiards for the writing life…

I want to share a line with you I heard years ago that stuck with me:

"I'm thinking about too much."

I heard it through a hot mic clipped on a champion billiards player during a live broadcast. (My brother watched billiards all the time).

The billiards champ was set up to take an easy shot and run the table. The commentators quietly talked about all the upcoming shots she needed to make. It all depended on setting up the cue ball in the right place after this simple shot.

She took her shot, keeping an eye on where the cue ball needed to land for her next shot. But...

The cue ball struck her target wrong. She completely missed pocketing the ball she had aimed for.

All the thought and strategizing for the next five shots were lost because she missed the simple shot right in front of her.

Audible gasps sounded from the crowd. How could a champion player miss a shot any of them could have made?

Hands still gripping her cue stick and arms stretched over the billiard green, she hung her head. Over her mic, I heard her say, "I'm thinking about too much."

I've found myself in that place often in my author career.

April 2023, I missed a simple shot. I had set a book up for preorder and had the manuscript ready in the nick of time. Or so I thought. I miscalculated Amazon's upload deadline by a day. My readers who had preordered the book received a sad email that morning that the preorder was cancelled.

I sent a quick email to my readers, apologizing for missing the shot.

I admitted I could list reasons for not getting it done sooner that spring: Finishing the Otis W. Leader manuscript, working intently on our creative spaces, family medical issues, taking on a new freelance client, preparing for weaned lambs being delivered to our property that coming week.

Yes. I was thinking about too much.

So I owned up to it and let my readers know I should have kept my eye on the shot in front of me and taken care of them.

Thankfully, they gave me another shot and went on to order the book, and I've held that lesson close since.

It's time I shared it with you, along with a word of encouragement. As spring rushes by with a gleeful wave and summer looms ahead, it's easy to start thinking about too much and lose sight of the shot right in front of us. Keep in mind, that's the only shot you need to take in any given moment. Thinking too far ahead, especially when there's a rush of activity, can cause you to lose focus on the next step.

Planning ahead is a solid practice and one I follow. Just not at the cost of missing the shot right in front of me. That's the lesson I learned from billiards, and I hope it's one that helps you grow as a confident author.