By Bill Spiegel, Byline Editor
Prior to the pandemic, my family moved to a different home beside a golf course. Almost every night, I took a walk on one of the holes, picking up errant golf balls on my way. Before long, I had amassed a nice little collection and began giving them away. When COVID hit, golf was one of the few activities in which people could participate, so my walks became longer, and I carried a little bag in which to put my findings.
Several things happened: I began to lose weight. I amassed a nice little collection of golf balls, and before long, my kids started selling them. I noticed, too, that when I walked, my head became clearer…and my focus on writing was becoming a little sharper.
When I was out over the winter break, I began to think about some of the parallels between Golf Balls and Writing.
It Clears My Head
Until 2019, I didn’t know the difference between a Titleist and a TopFlite (both golf ball brands). I’m kind of obsessed now, and I immediately check brands when I pick them up. But I also notice that I constantly think of story angles, lede paragraphs, and new ideas. The exercise I get is the reason, according to researchers at the University of London, who write that exercise causes blood to flow to the brain, “…which in turn fires up your neurons and promotes cell growth.”
Adapt to New Technology
I had seen advertisements for “black light headbands” that people used to find golf balls in the dark, but always thought that didn’t seem very fair. My kids got me one for my birthday one year, and holy cow: using it, golf balls shine up like Christmas lights. I may look silly wandering around a golf course after dark with a headlamp, but I’m finding golf balls like crazy.
New technology for reporting is kind of like that. I resisted transcription services for a while because I thought listening to conversations and sifting through notes was part of being a journalist. But this tool – plus Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), for another – has the power to make us more efficient. And you don’t have to wear a silly-looking headlamp.
Not Every Ball is a Winner
Remember the Titleist/Top Flite analogy from above? Here’s what I’ve noticed when selling golf balls: Titleist: good. Top Flite: bad. Every ball has a value, but some are more valuable than others. I can’t give Top Flites away, but I can sell every Titleist ProV1 or ProV1X I find.
Story ideas are the same way. Every idea is not an award winner, nor is every ball as valuable as the next. But they all have value.
Triple Check
Every ball I find goes through three inspections before I find a new user. I sort them when I first get home; again, when cleaning, I sort “like new” from “slightly used” to “throw away.” And a third time when I sort them via brand. That’s a little like editing: the more frequently one looks at writing, the better and tighter it gets.
Get off the Path
There is a lot of competition in the golf ball-finding business, believe it or not. (Maybe over a beer at Ag Media Summit, I’ll share stories of some confrontations I’ve had.) Most people walk along the boundaries of each hole, picking up balls they find within a few feet of either side. I’ve found that to find the good stuff, I get off into the rough or the woods, dodging thorny locust trees and finding poison ivy.
That’s a good way to find stories, too. There is low-hanging fruit because everyone has a story to share. But sometimes, the best stories come from digging: asking questions of your sources to find that nugget that puts your story over the top.
Discover New Angles
Typically, when a golfer hits an errant ball on our local course, it lands in the rough: native grass that can get from five to six feet tall. Walking from the tee boxes to the cup, I keep my eyes peeled. But I often go in the opposite direction, too – from hole to tee box. Just seeing the course from a different angle unveils a bunch of golf balls that are buried underneath the grass. It’s kind of like writing: approaching a story from a vantage point different than the norm can lead to creatstorytellingling.
Not every member has access to a golf course for their moments of editorial clarity, but we all have those hobbies or chores that can complement our writing. I’d love to hear more about yours! Email me at [email protected]