The Writer and Determination

Last night, we had thunder, lightning, sleet, freezing rain and then a bit of snow on top of all that! Many things canceled today in our community and in other parts of Kansas due to the weather. This morning, it is cold--14'F--but the sun is shining. I was planning on going to lunch and bridge with friends this afternoon but that, too, is canceled. The quote by Ayn Rand on today's poster made me think that, sometimes, the weather does stop us from forging ahead with our plans. 

The weather won't affect your writing. In fact, it might provide you with some extra writing time if you have to stay inside. Ms. Rand's quote tells me she is a determined person. To be a successful writer, determination ranks high on the list of traits a writer should have.

The dictionary tells me that determination is firmness of purpose; resoluteness.  A thesaurus gives 41 synonyms. 41! I'm not going to list them all, but you can check the list here if you are curious. One of the synonyms was perseverance. That brought a smile to my face since my two keywords for my writing world have been patience and perseverance for a long time. 

Somehow, I feel like determination is stronger than perseverance. That is what Ayn Rand's quote appears to me. She is determined, filled with strong purpose, and not about to let anyone tell her what to do in her writing world. It must work as she is a well-known, published novelist. 

How determined are you to continue writing, to keep on trying to get published, and to ensure your growth as a writer? That's quite the trio, isn't it? The wishy-washy writer isn't going to put much effort into those three necessities to make him/herself a better writer. Only he/she who is determined will see results. 

We all have times when we get dejected regarding our writing. It's human to do so. Let yourself wallow in self-pity for a day or two, then bring up that determination factor and keep going.

Determination will not produce huge results overnight. This is where patience comes into play. Be determined but also be willing to wait and see what happens as time goes on.

Yes, the weather might stop you from going somewhere today, but you can still be determined to let nothing get in the way of your writing goals.