Let’s say you want to start something new. Something you have never done before.
What do you do?
You read a few “how-to” books on the subject, you seek help from friends who are already doing it, and you visit a few websites that deal with the subject at hand. Chances are if you are serious about doing the thing, whatever it may be, you will soon be doing it well enough.
But, what if you want to get better at it?
You can do almost anything thing well enough if you know how to do it, but you can do it better if you know why it is done the way it is. The knowledge of the “how” enables you to do the thing, but the knowledge of the “why” helps you in understanding the mechanics behind doing the thing.
Once you know what is going on behind the scenes, you can adapt the techniques of doing the thing to suit your style and persona. This, I feel applies to almost everything in life, including writing.
Wouldn’t you agree?
(Image source: afreeta from sxc.hu)
Good point– the “why” certainly provides a deeper understanding and motivation. Then we get down to the old Nike slogan of “just doing it”. Practice, errors, failures, more practice.
@ Julie Yes, once you know the “why” you can practice in a way that enhances your performance. 🙂