Writers--Don't Stop Writing

 

Today's quote is pretty simple. Only seven words. Even so, it's good advice. "You fail only if you stop writing." 

There are many reasons people decide to stop writing. High among them is discouragement. How many times can you submit your work only to be rejected? Yes, we've all heard stories of writers who submitted a book manuscript numerous times before it was finally accepted. I admire those writers who didn't give up. It's not easy to keep putting yourself up for disappointment. One thing I'm guessing many of these writers all had is that they believed in what they'd written. Believing in yourself as a writer, as well as what you've written, should be high on the list of traits a writer should have. 

Problems in a writer's personal life can be so enormous that the writer has no time or will to continue writing. In cases like this, it is hoped that when the situation has calmed, the writer will go back to his/her craft. 

The writer who quits because of many rejections is one who should step back and try to figure out what he/she can do to improve. I would tell them to read books on the craft, then read some more. Attend workshops. It's amazing what you can learn in them from the instructor and form other attendees. It's easier than ever to attend a workshop as many are offered on Zoom. Look for a writing critique group but be open to taking their criticisms as a way of learning. It's too hard to try to do it all yourself. There are many kinds of help aids for writers. Avail yourself of them.

Another suggestion is to develop a tough skin. Learn to take criticism of your writing, whether it be in a classroom situation or a critique group or a note from an editor. How do you learn that? Maybe an attitude adjustment can help. Accept criticism of your writing as a learning tool. I find that the critiques I receive on the subs I send to my online writing group can open new doors into my understanding of the writing world. I consider that the members of my group are trying to help me make my submission the best it can be. 

Am I telling you to never become discouraged in your writing life? No, because there are many reasons we do become depressed over our writing life. We can rise above them if we develop a positive attitude. You don't want to give in to any discouragement you might be experiencing. 

Remember that old, possibly trite, adage that says: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." I checked to see where the quote came from but found several places that claimed it. So, who really knows when it first came to light? That doesn't matter, what the advice it gives becomes the important part. 

If you feel like you should stop writing, give some thought to the points I've made in today's post. Take a little time off if you feel the need, but if you feel the itch to write something, do come back. 

Shy Writers and Submittng

Today's poster gives us food for thought. It says "You must make the choice, to take the chance, if you want anything in life to change." Of course, I automatically equate it to writing. 

If you're a writer who has written many stories, poems, essays or articles but has never submitted to a publication, this quote should speak to you. Or, if you're someone who has written a novel, maybe more than one, but have not had the courage to contact a publisher, you might heed the advice here. You may well be a shy writer. That's nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of factors contribute to this kind of wirter. 

Let's look at these three Cs. 

CHOICE:    

First we must make the choice to submit our work. Many beginning writers are eager to get their work published, and they charge ahead like bulls running in Pamplona, Spain. Good for them, as long as their expectations are not too high. All that enthusiasm can come crashing down when the rejections roll in. Most newbie writers must learn to deal with rejections and learn from them. 

But what about those writers who have written many things but have never had the courage to submit to a publication of any kind. Why? Often it's fear of rejection. Sometimes, it's a lack of confidence in their own writing. Fear of not measuring up to others. It takes courage to make that CHOICE to submit your work. 

CHANCE

Every time a wirter submits to a newspaper, a magazine or ezine, or publisher of any kind, they are taking a CHANCE. The outcome can go either way--publication or rejection. Each writer must decide if they want to take the risk. When I finish a story or essay, I know that it's up to me to submit it to some editor somewhere. I know that there is no guarantee as to the outcome, but I am also well aware that I must take the CHANCE to learn what will happen.

CHANGE

Ask yourself if you want anything to change in your writing life. Are you content to keep writing story after story and never seeing them published? If that's the case, you're fine. If you dream of being a published writer, you'll need to make some changes. Educate yourself on the how and where of submitting. Don't submit one piece, then sit back and wait to hear from the editor. Keep the submissions going on your own Ferris Wheel. One after the other, 

Make the CHOICE to take a CHANCE to see some CHANGE in your writing life. What have you got to lose? The possibility of having more to gain is great. 

 

The Writing Road Has a Few Bumps

 

"You fail only if you stop writing." Ray Bradbury, author, said this. I thought it worth a topic for this blog today. 

Are you a failure if you write and submit over and over and have never been published. Is it defeat? Not in my book. If you are a writer and continue to write, you're still a writer. You may not be able to list your many successes, but you are still a writer, and your aim is to be published so you can start a list of successes.

Are you a failure if you, set lofty goals at the beginning of your writing days, but only reach a few of them five years later? Not in my way of thinking. No one ever said that you absolutely must achieve the goals you have set for yourself. A goal is something to aim for, to give us incentive. If we meet all of them, that's wonderful, but if not, we don't have to fold up our tent and slink away. 

Are you a failure if you have a book published, but sales are disappointingly low? No. You may be unhappy with your sales totals, but it doesn't mean you should give up writing the next book. Even famous authors have better sales with some books than others. Every one of them would be able to tell you which was his/her most popular book, the one that had the most sales. 

Are you a failure if you have a website or a blog that gets minimal hits? Of course not. You're still a writer, no matter how many readers you have.

Are you a failure if your critique group finds more problems in what you submit to them than praise? Not really. They are trying to help you improve your writing so that it will be acceptable to an editor. 

All the things I've addressed above are the everyday problems a writer encounters. We work toward overcoming, or correcting, them. We are not failures because we're not perfect. 

I agree with Mr. Bradbury. Failure comes only when we stop writing. The other problems are hiccups in the life of a writer.

The Ugly Three in Our Writing World

 

I have an early morning meeting today, so here's a repeat post. Still relevant.

A writer I know has been stressing out about her writing journey recently. She reached out for advice from a group of writers. What better people to seek for aid than ones who have probably also been through the same situation at some time or other? They gave her bits and pieces of their own similar times and offered suggestions. Many ended by sending a hug. 

As a group, writers probably experience the Ugly Three on a regular rotating basis. I consider The Ugly Three to be fear, doubt, and beating up on yourself. For a long time, we never encounter any of these and suddenly, they pop up from nowhere, or so it seems.

The Ugly Three

FEAR:  New writers feel like a non-swimmer diving into the deep end of the pool Sink or swim! Questions abound Will anyone want to read what I've written? Will an editor accept what I send? Can I write well enough to get published? Do I have anything new to say?

Seasoned writers live with their stomach in knots at times, too. Questions feed fear in their minds, too. Can I find something new to write about? Can I please my readers? Will my editor continue accepting my work? Will I run out of things to write about? How long will it take for me to be a household name in the writing world?

DOUBT:  All writers deal with doubt at some time. Some writers wrestle with it on a daily basis. Instead of accentuating the positives in our writing life (go ahead and list them--there are many!), we tend to let the negatives rise to the top and smother the good things. Don't let that happen. Keep reminding yourself that you chose this writing journey; no one forced you into it. You did it because you had a passion for the written word, the desire to be published. Never forget that you continue to grow as a writer with each piece you write. Even so, things roll through your mind. Is this good enough to be published? Will my readers like it? What if I get terrible reviews? What if my editor dumps me? 

BEATING UP ON YOURSELF:   We all do this now and then. We might not go as far as self-flagellation (please do not ever!) but we do let our mind play games with us at times. We put ourselves down with thoughts like Why did you ever think you could be a writer? What made you think an editor would like your work enough to publish it? You're nowhere near as good as your fellow writers. This new story just plain stinks! Does it make you feel better to beat up on yourself? I don't think so. All it does is feed the doubts and fears we might already have. Remember that YOU are in charge of you so take hold of the problem and confront it. 

Do people in other fields run into The Ugly Three, too? Of course, they do. We're all human and we have hurdles to cross now and then, no matter what our field of expertise happens to be. Know that you are completely normal if you suffer from The Ugly Three. Worry only if they take over your writing life completely. If that happens, it may be time to take a break, come back later and assess the matter and reclaim the passion you once had for writing. 

Meanwhile, I'm sending big hugs to any writer who needs one.

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. 

Writers Can Conquer Fear and More

Fear looms large in the list of problems writers face. Many times, it's what keeps us from taking the next step on our writing journey. There's another guy that goes hand-in-hand with fear. His name is Doubt. Their sister, Miss Lack-of-Self-Confidence travels with them. Any one of them can wreak havoc on a writer, but put them together and disaster might be the result. 

I wonder if any writer can say that he/she has never had to deal with fear, doubt, or lack of self-confidence at some point. I fall short of calling anyone a liar, but I'd say these people would be hiding from the truth. Granted, there are varying degrees. Take fear, for instance. You can be paralyzed with fear to the point that you can't go on any longer, or you can have just a niggling little bit of it that gives you pause until you push it aside and move on. 

We doubt that we can write for the top name publishers or best magazines so we continue to submit to very small circulation places. We're not confident that we can compete with hundreds of other writers in a contest so we don't enter. We think things like:  I'm not a good enough writer. I'd never get an acceptance at that place. I'm just a so-so writer. I'm only a little fish in a big pond. 

Instead of continuing with that line of thinking, have thoughts that will help your confidence. Positive ones like:  Who says I can't do this? I've got as good a chance as anyone else. If I don't try, I'll never know how far I could go. I'm proud of my writing. 

One way to build your self-confidence is to keep learning about the craft of writing. Read every newsletter or book about writing that comes your way. If they don't fall into your lap, seek them! Go to workshops and conferences. Join writing groups. Have a one-on-one session with another writer. Ask questions. No matter how long you've been writing, there is no end to learning more about this skill. 

Another help is to make a vow to be more positive than negative. Negativity gets you nowhere in a hurry. We must stop putting ourselves down. Instead, make it a point to do all you can to build yourself up. 

There are people who allow fear, doubt and lack of self-confidence to accompany them for a very long time. The subconscious feeling can be that if I have all these problems to deal with, I don't have to produce. In other words, they hide behind their problems, use them as an excuse for why they don't submit their writing or take a long pause in writing. 

Even when we have success with our writing, we have bits of fear and doubt. If an author has a book published for the first time, they can't stop thinking about the reviews, the sales, the publisher's comments. Again, it can go by degrees--from passing thoughts to keep you awake every night reactions.

It's human to have a little fear, doubt and lack of self-confidence at times. A small amount can serve to push us to do better. What we don't want is to let those problems take over and push us away from the writing world, to push us backward rather than forward on our writing journey. I seem to say this often, but you are the one who is in control.