The #1 Secret for Success as a Writer
What's the most important factor for success as a writer?Is it talent? Training? Or something else?
Imagine two women. We'll call them Julia and Karen.
Growing up, the two of them had a lot in common. They both loved to read. They both enjoyed creative writing. Maybe they were even encouraged in this interest by a teacher who told them they were talented. And they both began to dream of being writers.
As adults, they both ended up with jobs and families, busy lives. But their writing took different paths.
Julia
Julia continued to dream about being a writer one day. Sometimes she would imagine her name on a book cover.She hadn't written for a long time. And it never seemed to be the right moment to start again. She had so much else going on.
And, to be honest, she felt intimidated about starting. Where would she begin? What if she failed?
She felt uncomfortable about taking time away from her many responsibilities for this dream, which had no guarantee of success.
She told herself:
Maybe when the kids are older...
Maybe when I can take some time off work...
Maybe when things are less chaotic at home...
And almost without her noticing it, the years went by. After a while, she began to tell herself:
Maybe when I retire...
Julia loved many aspects of her life, but she always felt that something was missing. It was like an ache that she carried around with her.
She remembered that she had once shown potential as a writer. Why hadn't it happened for her?
Karen
Karen was also very busy with work and a family.But early in the morning, before her children woke up, she would take some time each day to write. Often, she was only able to write a page or two, but those pages started to add up.
During her busy days, she would sometimes think about her writing, and it would give her a glowing feeling, as if she had a secret treasure.
After a year, she had completed the draft of a novel.
Then she found an agent.
Then her novel was published.
Then she completed and published another novel, and then another.
Why did Karen get farther with her writing than Julia?
Was she more talented?
That doesn't matter. Even if Julia were three times more talented than Karen, it wouldn't have made the slightest difference because she wasn't producing anything.
On the other hand, the more Karen wrote, the more she was developing her writing ability.
So what is the secret to following Karen's path, and achieving her success?
Instead of just one secret, I'm going to talk about four of them. The great news is that these are secrets that almost anyone can put into practice.
SECRET #1 Commitment. Successful writers decide to make writing a priority in their lives. And they find creative ways to create time and space for their writing.
SECRET #2 Habit. Successful writers turn writing into a habit. They have less temptation to procrastinate because it's a regular part of their routine.
SECRET #3 Attitude. Successful writers learn to resist impatience, fear, insecurity, and other negative emotions that get in the way of their writing. They just get the writing done. And often have a wonderful time doing it!
SECRET #4 Starting. Yes, if you want to be a writer, you have to begin! Not next year, not when the kids are older, or when things calm down at work. At some point, you have to begin your writing life NOW.
We have a fantastic course that will help you become the writer you've always wanted to be.
It's worked for our previous students, and it will work for you. Here are a few of their comments about the course:
“I had been stuck in my current work for at least a year, writing hardly anything at all. The accountability sheet forced me to write every day, and I wanted to. Now at the end of the course, I think I’m 90% done with my book.”
– Anne Nowlin
“It has improved the quality of my writing as well as my thought process. Creativity flows and I find myself writing easily without getting stuck.”
- Aditi Mahajan
“This has been the most productive, creative month I’ve had.”
– Nancy Pazner
You can find the course details and sign up here.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain
- Mark Twain
