by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
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| 13 Truths about being a writer. |
Choosing to stand up and be identified as a writer can be a
scary thing. The road is rarely a straight path to publication. These are some
things that I hope will help you stay the course as you continue on your own
writing journey
13 Truths About Being
a Writer
1. It’s an eternal
struggle between you and the blank page. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get a
whole lot easier. The doubts still crowd your mind, and fear still whispers in
your ear no matter how long you’re in this business.
2. Talent without persistence is
worthless. So much of what we need to know to
be successful, no matter what our goals, can be learned.
3. You’re stronger than you think. If I had known when I started, the hard work
and emotional toll getting to this point would take. I would have quite because
I would never have dreamed I could do it.
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| You can't plot a course always expecting to be the exception to the rule. |
4. You can’t plot a course always
expecting to be the exception to the rule. Things generally happen
in a certain way, over a certain time-frame. As believers we know that God can
step in at any time and turn things upside down. But expecting that to always
happen just isn’t reasonable. We need to do the work and celebrate when the
exceptions do occur.
5. Quitting is the only path to failure. I’ve found writing success, but a lot of it has
come simply because I refused to give up.
6. God is the One who directs my path—and
yours. I can (and will continue) to make
plans—but I stay flexible. I would never have even dreamed of the opportunities
God has given me.
7. There’s a big difference between
goals and dreams. They both
have their place in the writer’s life, but a goal is something who’s outcome I
can influence. A dream is something I wish would happen. It’s the difference
between having the goal of getting a book published or having a best seller. I
can achieve the first by hard work, but the second is ultimately up to God.
8. Detours aren’t the same thing as
roadblocks. My path to publication has
zigged and zagged so many times it looks like the path Mother Goose’s Crooked
Old Man left behind. But more frequently than not, those detours ended up
getting me further ahead, faster.
9. Change is the industry standard in
publishing. It’s not possible to base your path on what has gone
before. Technology is moving too fast. We either embrace the challenge or we
fall by the wayside.
10. Generosity will always get you
farther than selfishness. I have
never once regretted putting someone else before me. I’d even go so far as to
say that I’ve build my career (or at least my platform) by promoting others.
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| Your reputation is worth solid gold. |
11. Your reputation is worth solid gold, but it’s not something I can buy. I can only
achieve it and keep it by guarding it. I always try to communicate honestly and
above all, keep my word.
12. The joy is in the journey. The people I’ve met, the things I’ve gotten to
experience have been the high points, not the achievements.
13. Publication isn’t the sole definition
of writing success. Touching
someone’s life through the words I pen, whether it’s on a blog or a book or an
article, is way more important than a book contract.
What about you?
Has writing taught you anything important about yourself and/or about life? Share your thoughts below.
Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie
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