Rainbows and Writers

Our quote for today has some strong advice. No holding your hand here. The quote is: If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. 

In our writing world, the rainbow is any success, and the rain is all the little, miserable things writers must deal with. But you knew that, didn't you?

Wanting to be a writer and continuing to be a writer are different games altogether. It's the wannabe writer who lets the problems that must be dealt with discourage him/her. They are the ones who throw up their hands in defeat and quit. 

The writers who meet the problems head-on and work them out are the ones who continue to stay on their writing journey. They're the ones whose passion for the craft overrides the problems they encounter. Even if they end up gnashing their teeth or pulling their hair occasionally.

What problems are there? Take a look at the list below:

A.  Time constraints

B.  Minimal knowledge of the craft

C.  Isolating yourself and not being with other writers

D.  Poor mechanics

E.  Overwriting

F.  Underwriting

G.  Putting enough emotion in writing

H.  Weak openings and/or endings

I.  Ignoring sensory details

J.  Trouble marketing finished pieces

J.  Cover letters and queries

K.  Clarity for the reader

L.  Paragraphs or chapters that don't seem to work

M.  Handling rejections

The list above is not a complete one. You could probably add other problems writers face. Some writers deal well with many in the list above. I think we all have a few in the list that create trouble for us. 

It's our rain before the rainbow. Sometimes, it feels like a slight drizzle. Then there are days when we feel drenched in a torrential downpour. 

We need to learn to meet those problems and work them out, one by one, a never-ending process. One problem gets solved, and another pops up. It's part of the writing world, and those who continue to write are the ones who handle the rain so they can see a rainbow later.