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A New Superhero: Iron Writer · The Daily Writer

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Writer, where we share a lesson each day to help you cultivate the habits for creative success.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: These lessons are inspired by great artists, authors, and thinkers, both past and present.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: For more, you can visit us at dailywriterlife.com.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: If you recall your middle school history class, there were three distinct periods in ancient history, each one defined by the material they used to make weapons.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: The Stone Age came first.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: These weapons of stone were of course limited because stones are very heavy.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: They're also hard to shape if the only other tools you have are also made of stone.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Then came the Bronze Age, when people began mining tin and copper and then mixing them to create bronze.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: Bronze weapons were lighter and stronger than the ones made of stone, but they were no match for what came next.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: And that of course was the Iron Age.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: Any civilization that mastered iron production could dominate those who didn't because their weapons were so superior.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: There's an interesting verse from the Book of Proverbs, which was written in the Middle East during the Iron Age.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Proverbs 2717 says, As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: But what does this mean?
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Iron is a substance that can be made stronger when it's mixed with other material like carbon, for example.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: Then it becomes steel.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Put these two substances next to each other at just the right angle and apply enough pressure and repetition, and you will have a sharpening effect.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: But have you ever thought about what it means for a knife or a sword to be sharp?
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: It means the edge is very, very focused to a fine point.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: It means it can cut through lots of other things.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's virtually unstoppable.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Well, those are good words not just for miners or blacksmiths, but also for writers.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: There are lots of ways to get sharper in your craft.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Reading books and practicing every day are two of the main ones.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: However, nothing even comes close to spending time with other writers who can take you much further than you can ever go on your own.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Whether it's a mastermind group, a learning community, or just meeting with a friend for coffee on a regular basis, you must spend time with other writers who are generous, positive, and focused.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Now here's the flip side to this equation.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: Just as you need other writers, they need you also.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: We all need each other.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're not meeting regularly with other writers, make this priority number one on your to-do list.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: Remember the movie Iron Man from 2008?
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe we need a new superhero, Iron Writer.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: This is a hero who gets his strength from connecting with other writers.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: The more he connects, the more he serves and tries to help other writers, the stronger that he gets.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: But this isn't just a comic book fantasy.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: You can be a real life iron writer when you let other writing heroes into your life, and when you become a hero to other writers as well.com