Author Dan Brown (The DaVinci Code) says "the difference between good writers and bad writers is that good writers know when they're bad."
Brown is a prisoner of process, writing from 4 A.M. to 11 A.M. in a distraction-free space...no phone, no email, no Internet. Playwright David Mamet wrote, "A man distracted is a man defeated."
He describes "setting the table," leaving off one day's work by starting the next chapter the previous day. I started today's piece yesterday before leaving for work.
The blank page challenges every author. I think of set plays like some writers see the blank page. It's opportunity to steal, to edit, to throw junk in the rubbish.
Don't settle on offense. Attack. Too many teams content themselves with getting the ball in play. Challenge the defense continuously.
Some of my best ideas come in the shower while listening to MasterClass via a bluetooth speaker. Multiple actions. Cross-screens (small to big) create mismatches against switching.
- Put your best big on the opposite block during a SLOB.
- Space your '3' on the helpside wing.
- Locate your '2' on the ballside block and your '1' at the elbow.
- Use zipper action to inbound the ball to '2'.
- Bring the inbounder in to screen for the '2' while '1' screens across for the '5'.
- Pass from 2 to 5 on the block after the switch.
