*Inspects the Earth pillars*
Not bad for a first try, the Earth has definitely kept its strong structure, though has lost some when you removed it out of the ground, however what you have now is completely perfect. Before you fully master this jutsu though, you need to understand another aspect of Earth manipulation. The Earth does not only have to be in a solid form, we have seen it be used as Mud, hence a liquid state, and sometimes even in forms of particles. For now though, we will not go in full-depth, let me demonstrate.
*Puts one palm onto the ground and raises an Earth pillar, just like you did. However, after doing so, my pillar begins to soften, almost like it is melting. You can see that the pillar is gradually becoming smaller, and then it begins to shape itself, changing itself into the shape of a sword.*
What I did right there, is basic manipulation of the texture of the Earth. You see, by supplying more chakra into the pillar, you are able to even change its form, its shape, all based upon your will. You can even change the weight, but that requires a jutsu we will go through later on. Right now, I want you to copy what I just did. Supply some more chakra into the Earth pillars you just created, and in doing so, soften the Earths structure, almost so that it's like a jelly. Then, by using basic shape manipulation, change the shapes of your pillars. Forming the one in your right hand into a sword, and the one in your left hand into a shield. Describe how you do each one individually, for example the large surface area that a shield has, and the sharp edge a sword has.