Know Your Writing Metagame

When I’m not reading or writing, I indulge in my other passion: I watch competitive gaming (video games in which players battle against eachother).  Competitive video games and professional writing have some things in common.  One of them is an ever-changing metagame.  Broadcast personalities analyze competitive matches much like ESPN sportscasters.  In their analysis they often discuss the game’s “metagame.”

“In the current meta…” They explain.

“This meta is very aggressive.” They all nod, ties bobbing.

The metagame is the strategies and environmental factors that affects the way a game is played.  Most average players don’t pay attention to these shifting tactics.  And even if they do, average players don’t know how to apply that knowledge to improve their game.

Understanding the metagame and knowing how to use it is what separates the amateurs from the professionals. So ask yourself, do you know your writing meta?  Do you pay attention to the shifting environment that dictates your chosen field?

Now, the writing game itself remains somewhat consistent.  If you’ve read Aristotle, you’ve got the basics down.  If you’ve read Stephen King’s On Writing or Egri’s Art of Dramatic Writing, you’ve taken it to the next level.  If you can use these sources well and often, you have achieved “casual” status.  You know how to play.  Now it’s time for the next step: metagame.

The what writers need to know to excel in their craft is constantly shifting (for example, what is the desired length in your genre? Trends in dialogue? Expectations of pace?), as are the best places to gain that knowledge.  You can’t rest on your Aristotle.  Aggressively seek out books, podcasts, blogs, and mentors that update you on the means of production as well as the expectations of craft.

At the same time I offer a word of caution: don’t get bogged down in the meta.  Trends and moods are fleeting, and any pro gamer will tell you knowledge is no substitute for practice.  Greg Semenza, author of Graduate Study for the 21st Century, recommends serious academics spend at least one hour a week updating themselves on new publications in their field.  I think this is a good rule.  Otherwise your meta studies will keep you from doing your own work.  

Be specific about what constitutes your metagame.  For example: “Contemporary Literary Targeting Women Between 30 and 50” or “Heist Films Featuring Cars” or “Lifestyle Blogs for Southern Teens.” Then, make a just few bullet notes during that hour.  At the end of the month, assess your notes and see if there are any trends.  For example “There are three plays opening in April Off-Broadway about comic books” or “Young Adult books about fairy tales seem to be on the decline.”

The real trick is taking what you have learned and applying it without losing your own strengths.  Always realize the metagame is fleeting-- ephemeral.  It is a tool to help promote the work you are already making.  Knowing your metagame is just another mechanism to help share your voice.
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In the end, it is most important that you know how to use the “current meta” to highlight your own particular strengths and build a career you are proud of.