How Unexpected Success Really Comes: The Case of Ernest Hemingway

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Still believe in effortless success? The story of one of the most influential writers of the 20th century shows how things really are.

1. Work even if no one notices it

Ernest Hemingway's first novel, The Sun Also Rises, was published in 1926 and instantly brought fame to the American writer. This autobiographical work is still considered one of the most important in his work. Hemingway's second novel, A Farewell to Arms, about the war, was released in 1929. With this publication, the 30-year-old writer became the most popular and influential author of his generation.

How did Hemingway manage to gain recognition in just three years?

Canadian journalist Malcolm Gladwell formulated and popularized the 10,000 hour rule. Its essence boils down to the following: to master some craft perfectly, you need to spend 10,000 hours on it. He borrowed this idea from the research of K. Anders Eriksson, a specialist who studies deliberate practice and its impact on marginal productivity and outcome.

Of course, honing a skill for 10,000 hours will not lead to supernatural powers. However, this rule has one sound thought: to create great work, you must work hard.

Hemingway has honed his writing skills for over a decade. He did not become as successful in an instant as it might seem. Before publishing his first novel, he worked as a police reporter, writing essays, essays and short stories to various magazines and to the table. However, seeing an accomplished writer, we do not think about how hard he worked and what he sacrificed to achieve fame.

The path to mastery is thorny and long. Is always.

2. Work thoughtfully and purposefully

When we are just learning to type on the keyboard, we press the keys slowly and deliberately. Gradually, we get used to the position of the letters and stop thinking about where to put our fingers. This is how a habit is formed, the cognitive load on the brain decreases.

K. Anders Eriksson studies the influence of mindfulness in work for a reason. Machine practice does not lead to improvement. There is a big difference between using the keyboard for the first time and the hundredth time, and between the thousandth and ten thousandth there is almost no difference. A skill develops only with focused attention and purposeful deliberate effort.

In 1935, in Esquire magazine, Hemingway gave advice to young writers: “The best time to stop is when the work is going well and you know what will happen next. If you do this every day while writing the novel, you will never get stuck in the plot."

The writer relentlessly followed this rule himself. He wrote while his imagination was at work, and interrupted himself before fatigue came. He didn't want to work mindlessly.

Dedication is essential to success, but repeating the same thing won't get anywhere.

We are improving only by changing the boundaries of the familiar.

3. Seek Feedback

In 1985, University of Chicago professor Benjamin Bloom published the book Developing Talent in Youth, in which he analyzed 120 young people. All of them have achieved success in various fields. The professor did not see a connection between IQ level and high performance in chess, music and sports. However, he noticed that the subjects practiced harder than the others. In addition, each of them had a coach or teacher.

Feedback is what distinguishes the person who put in 10,000 hours of work and came nowhere, and the person who became the best in his field after 5,000 hours of work.

Despite the fact that Hemingway in later years denied the influence of Gertrude Stein on his work, it was she who contributed to the rise of his career. 25 years older, Stein, the famous American writer, met Hemingway when he was 22 years old. She helped him develop his own style and brought him into contact with other writers who also influenced him.

You don't have to find a coach to get your work on track. In some cases, we can help ourselves. One of the easiest ways is to record and rate.

Hemingway, for example, before continuing to work on a work, re-read what he had written earlier. He started from the beginning or skimmed through the last two or three chapters in order to edit the text with a fresh mind.

The only way to hone your skills faster than anyone else is to get feedback.

Ernest Hemingway's fame as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century is no coincidence. He gave his life to the craft, practicing the skill for years with selfless dedication.

The magic of deliberate practice is that even in the absence of outstanding talent, the right genes, and a rewarding environment, we can control our skill. We are capable of more than it seems.

The hardest part is getting into action and deciding what to sacrifice.