Writing Success

“Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out all the wrong words.” – Mark Twain.

Writing success is usually measured with the words “bestselling” but is it talent or hard work? I don’t think any writer believes that writing is simple, it is a lot of work. Writing is labor intensive and an underpaid profession. Even the highly successful and well-monetized authors, work hard and tirelessly to complete manuscripts, build other worlds, edit, and market their product. In some cases, people ruthlessly criticize and scorn an author’s work. Why would anyone want to risk that type of judgment?

Importance of Criticism

“The work never matches the dream of perfection the artist has to start with.” – William Faulkner.

Outside criticism is paralyzing for a lot of writers. Criticism makes a person feel disparaged thereby dropping out before they’ve begun. It seems more comfortable to avoid the situation by not doing anything.

Constructive criticism, though, helps a person to grow and improve as an author. This type of critique is helpful to a writer. A writer can use the ideas and suggestions to better their writing. The rest should be ignored, deleted, and blocked. Hate-filled messages and personal attacks are from cyber bullies that deserve zero traction.

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Perseverance

“Write about what really interests you, whether it is real things or imaginary things, and nothing else.” – C.S. Lewis.

When I was younger, I had a yellow notebook filled with all things an emotional teenager experience. In it, I had poetry and drawings. I recorded my vivid dreams and wrote rambling thoughts and ideas. I was writing. Somehow I lost that original portfolio, and it felt like I lost a part of myself. Writing does become very personal – even if it is fictional or emotional. Instead of giving up, I got a bigger notebook and kept writing.

I found the energy to do it for myself. I submitted stories to many publishers and received rejection slips. Publishers returned my manuscripts with a note that read ‘thanks but no thanks.’ At first, the rejection slips felt like a failure, and I threw them away and admonished myself. But then one day, I had an epiphany. The rejection slips were anything but a failure. It was proof that I believed in myself enough to finish a project and send it to publishers for consideration. I persevered.

Final Thoughts

“We are apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” – Ernest Hemingway.

Eventually, I had a partial nonfictional piece printed in a small magazine. I self-published a book on Amazon and freelance content for other websites. I started this blog site. Is this success? I don’t have the word bestselling by any of my works or big paychecks to prove my worth, but I do feel like I am a success. I do what I love, and I love what I do, and that is the true meaning of success.

“Success is not the key to happiness; happiness is the key to success.” – Albert Schweitzer.

How would you measure your success? What fear holds you back from persevering and triumph?