Summary

The article advocates for writers to adopt a Kobe Bryant-inspired mindset, focusing on self-improvement, hard work, and strategic competition rather than complaining about external factors like payment or platform changes.

Abstract

The text emphasizes the importance of a strong work ethic and self-motivation for writers, drawing parallels to Kobe Bryant's relentless pursuit of excellence. It suggests that writers should create their own "kill list" of competitors to motivate self-improvement, rather than wasting time on social media complaints. The author argues that in a capitalistic society, where businesses prioritize profit, writers must adapt and evolve to succeed. The article encourages writers to focus on learning, overcoming challenges, and using their time effectively, rather than blaming others for their struggles.

Opinions

The author believes that complaining is unproductive and that writers should channel their energy into writing and self-improvement instead.
The article suggests that writers should not rely on external validation or fair compensation but should strive to excel in their craft regardless of circumstances.
It is implied that writers should view other successful writers as inspiration to improve their own skills, rather than as adversaries to be envious of.
The author criticizes the use of social media as a platform for venting frustrations, stating that it leads to wasted time and increased anger, which is detrimental to a writer's productivity.
The text promotes the idea that writers need to be resilient and adaptable, similar to athletes like Kobe Bryant, who overcame injuries and rule changes to continue excelling in their field.
The author encourages writers to see writing platforms as businesses that are indifferent to individual writers, advocating for a focus on personal development and effective time management.

You Need to Write Angry If You Want To Succeed Today

Kobe Bryant would approve of this method

You can complain, or you can do the work. There are no other options.

Recently, some writers have started to complain.

As you can guess, there is only one reason. They’re not getting paid what they’re worth.

I’m not disagreeing with this. I would like to be paid what I’m worth as well.

But the real truth is, we live in a capitalistic society. You know, businesses want to make money.

If a business leader doesn’t want to make money, they would get fired or the company would declare bankruptcy. You’ve seen both happen over the years.

So for writers, it’s a little different today. Many writers rely on companies so they can get paid.

With the economy on shaky grounds right now, companies are doing things that anger writers. Some writers are getting paid less.

I’ve written a few articles over the past two weeks highlighting some strategies writers can make, but I won’t discuss that today. Instead, I have a completely different topic which I’m sure you’ll find interesting.

The Kobe way

You’ve heard of the late Kobe Bryant. Well before Kobe stepped foot on the basketball court as a star player, he was a mediocre player.

To get better, he worked hard.

Kobe worked several hours before his regularly scheduled practice.
During the offseason, instead of hanging out with his teammates, he practiced on his own.
He analyzed what his weaknesses were and worked on those areas.

Before Kobe ever stepped foot on the professional basketball courts, he kept a kill list.

In high school, they used to publish the top-ranked high school basketball players. Kobe called it his kill list.

Kobe sized up the players who were ranked higher than him. His goal was to play and beat every one of them.

He knew he was better than them.

All of this paid off for Kobe who was drafted into the NBA without ever playing one basketball game in college.

Then once he arrived in the NBA, Kobe challenged one of the greatest players in the game, Michael Jordan. Kobe would not back down and he challenged MJ every time they played each other.

Kobe never gave up. He only worked harder to become better at his game.

The same is true for writers.

No one writer is the best in this game. True, there are some very good writers who are doing well today.

However, they spend time learning from others to improve their writing or another part of their craft.

For you, maybe you need to develop your own kill list.

You need to size up these other writers and confront them on this playing field. I don’t mean to email or call them that you want to beat them.

No. You need to push yourself to be better than them. You’re challenging yourself. These writers are not your opponent, nor is the writing platform you write for.

The NBA makes rule changes almost every year that make it harder for players. Players may complain, but they don’t quit and join a completely different league.

They know they need to get better. Basketball players push themselves to get better.

- They want to play better

- They want to win more games

- They want to win a championship

You see, Kobe didn’t know the meaning of the word quit. He wanted to get better each year. Kobe wanted to win another championship.

Kobe missed 15 games for a fractured metacarpal, 14 games for a severe right ankle sprain, at least 39 games for a fractured knee, and 19 games for an achilles’ surgery.

Each time, Kobe came back ready to play the game.

Writers need to do the same. Of course, if you had an ankle sprain, fractured knee, or achilles injury, those wouldn’t prevent you from writing. You can get through the pain and write as you did before.

Your pain is the writing platform that continues to change and evolve.

Blaming others for your writing isn’t always the answer. You need to learn to fight back and spend more time to develop yourself. And complaining on social media is not the best way to help your writing.

In fact, that is the worst thing to do.

1. You waste time

2. Others will join your discussion

3. This increases your anger over the issue

4. Your emotions will focus on venting more

5. You lost the opportunity to write more

Venting your anger on social media will hurt you as a writer. You will waste minutes and hours on your writing issues.

If you add up the minutes you waste on social media, those are valuable hours you could have used for research, planning, and writing.

Fellow writer Bette A. Ludwig 🔍found out people waste about 15 to 30 days on social media. That is a lot of time to waste.

You’re probably either scrolling or complaining on social media.

Take the time back and use it effectively.

Another fellow writer Stephen Dalton said writers should not use the 30-second rule for readers as their crutch. Readers will read or they won’t read.

If you continue to complain about them, you’re only wasting your time as I mentioned earlier. This solves nothing.

Final thoughts

You’re probably already mad, just focus your attention on the right area. Complaining about the platform won’t solve anything. Then leaving to try another platform may also not be the answer.

These are the key areas you should focus on if you want to be a better writer.

Learn to size up your competitors
Work harder on yourself
Improve your weak areas
Spend less time complaining
Use your time effectively

Writing platforms will always change. They don’t care about you. They’re a business. Businesses are in it for themselves and to make money.

These companies may give to charity from time to time, but you’re not a charity. You need to focus your efforts in the right direction.

Be like Kobe and go after your real competition.