What Fills Your Writing Bathtub?

Bathtub analogy: You have a tub representing your energy or creative skills. Your goal is to fill it. Good things that help build you up (energy or skills) fills the tub. Things that drain you (criticism, rejections, etc) empty your tub.

While you may have heard of the bathtub analogy before, Brad R. Torgersen has put a distinct writer’s slant on it by arguing that a writer wants to fill their tub to the top where the ‘professional line’ hangs out. To fill your tub to that line, you need to build your skills and work hard.

My mom’s version of the analogy is more of an “energy” tub instead of a “skill” tub. Who or what fills you up so you can do your work? Who or what creates holes in the bottom of your tub so you have to struggle and work extra hard to keep water in your tub?

Both analogies are good. As a creative person, you need both to succeed. You need to build your skills. You also need creative energy. If you have brick walls in your way, it makes it harder to fill that tub. Maybe you don’t have access to the resources to build your skills. Maybe someone is constantly telling you you’re no good. These create holes in your tub, making it difficult to fill the tub.

So, what fills your tub? Skillwise and energywise? For me, writing itself is a tub filler. Writing gives me energy. I also have a family that supports my writing. I have great critique partners. I have a pile of buddies on Agent Query who fill me up. I have places to discuss writing. I have writing books, access to online classes, and great, informative blogs to follow. There is always something to help me build my skills and get me thinking about writing in a new way. In short, I got it good baby. My tub is filling up.

How’s your tub doing? Does it need a repair kit? Is it close to overfilling?

P.S. There is a conversation going on about this over on AQ. Join in or leave a comment here.

Enjoy!