All writers aspire to recognition, but are we dedicated? Ambition is simply the drive or strong desire for something. It is the enthusiastic wanting, that yearning felt in every pore, every cell in our bodies toward a specific aim. Sounds a lot like an addiction, doesn't it? That's because it is. We become addicted to our fantasy of what it's like to live as a working, paid writer. That fantasy is great, it's wonderful. Keep it. Don't let it take the place of dedication.
Dedication, on the other hand, according to Dictionary.com, is defined as "selfless devotion". I was reading a book entitled "78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published & 14 Reasons Why it Just Might" by Pat Walsh. In the introduction, he talks about the difference between ambition and dedication and writes: "Most people who write a book have ambition, which differs from dedication. With ambition, the goal is the key element. With dedication, the process is the prize."
He's right. If you are selflessly devoted to your writing, the end result should be the act of creation, the act of manifesting, the act of communicating a version of your story that is better than your greatest possible version. If you aspire to greatness, then fantasy is no longer good enough. How dedicated are you to your craft, regardless of your desire for publication and fame?
(re)Dedicate yourself
Letting go (at least temporarily) of ambition and rededicating yourself to your craft is your first step toward achieving your goals. Sounds recursive, I know ? it's the same with that old adage: "just when you're not looking, you'll find Mr./Ms. right". Irritating? Yes. True? Also yes. Here are a few tips to get you on your way toward your newfound perseverance.
Join a writers group or start one yourself.
This will force you to write and to adhere to deadlines and witness other people meeting deadlines and achieving goals. It is positive peer pressure at its finest.
Take writing courses and seminars.
If you can afford it, sign up for that class or seminar you've been longing to take. Better yet, sign up for something that scares you to death, something you feel completely unqualified to take. You will experience the most growth from this class. Too expensive? There are lots of inexpensive, and even free, writing resources on the web, including my website http://www.lawritersgroup.com which is a free online writers group open to writers of all levels.
Write every day.
I know you've heard this so many times, it feels like a bad cliché, and makes you want to throw your computer out the window, but if you are dedicated to the process of writing, you should do it daily. Accept that your life will be a cliché and move forward.
Start living like a writer: Set Goals.
Make deadlines for yourself: "I'll have 30 pages done by a month from today". Make every effort to meet that deadline. Deadlines, like them or not, are part of the literary occupation. Accept it now, and start living that way, start living like a writer.
Read.
Reading in your genre is essential for any writer. Reading about writing and publishing and about story arcs is also helpful. For a list of recently published books for writers, go to http://www.lawritersgroup.com/Books.htm
Now go forth and write with dedication.
Nicole Criona is co-owner and creator of http://www.lawritersgroup.com, a worldwide online writers group open to writers of all levels, which mirrors her Los Angeles writers group. Nicole can be contacted at nicole@lawritersgroup.com.
People who have an idea for a website sometimes require... Read More
Writing an article is not an easy task. You have... Read More
This is Part 2 of a 2 part article -... Read More
You pick a pen, grab a piece of paper and... Read More
Publishing articles on the Internet is a tremendous way to... Read More
"Ten Tips" articles are the easiest piece to write because... Read More
What's the quickest, easiest way to get exposure for your... Read More
If you write web content, it may be a mystery... Read More
1. Write to one person.When you're writing your article picture... Read More
One question I get asked all the time is how... Read More
Sometimes when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More
It is a well known fact that writing, distributing and... Read More
Do you know why the "Chicken Soup for the Soul"... Read More
I get tons of emails from people who want to... Read More
The Shortest Distance to Your Home Town Enterprise is Over... Read More
I've been blogging occasionally over the last two months about... Read More
You have probably heard that writing articles is one of... Read More
Writing and distributing articles on the internet is one of... Read More
What should be in your article summary? It's otherwise known... Read More
Currently many online writers and would-be online writers, feel very... Read More
If you're sick of being #987 for your best Google... Read More
How would you like to have your name and web... Read More
I get asked all the time, "Lorrie, how can I... Read More
Writing effectively on the internet is the most effective way... Read More
Take a look around the Web and you'll find thousands... Read More
Article marketing-the simple act of writing one 400 word article... Read More
Overture reports over 1 million queries for article keyword related... Read More
Not doing what, you ask.Writing and submitting articles.Writing articles is... Read More
There's one key rule that every writer should understand before... Read More
Well maybe it's not that "little known" but some people... Read More
Have ever wished that there were a formula for crafting... Read More
"When you provide good information from which readers can learn... Read More
Gasp! I can hear it from the purists now: Matt... Read More
It's no secret-link exchanges are dying a painful death. And... Read More
I have a confession to make.I think in "articles."As a... Read More
Writing articles, and promoting them for publication, is one of... Read More
The key to selling reprints to parenting publications is the... Read More
You want your business to be noticed by thousands daily.... Read More
Determining keywords is a critical step in writing articles online... Read More
Submitting articles once or twice a week can yield 15... Read More
Proven and Exceptional Click-Through ResultsTesting has proven again and again... Read More
As an article author, sometimes you can only pull so... Read More
If you've spent any time online trying to promote your... Read More
The ezine article is of major importance to the world... Read More
We all know that article writing is a great way... Read More
Writing and submitting articles to article banks is a well-known... Read More
***What is the Resource box?'Resource box' is an information box... Read More
I have seen the question asked so many times. How... Read More
One of the best things you can do for your... Read More
It is not my intention to give you a 5... Read More
Not writing articles yet? You really should try it, if... Read More
IntroductionThere are two ways to submit to magazine editors.One is... Read More
Article marketing-the simple act of writing one 400 word article... Read More
I get tons of emails from people who want to... Read More
The five essential questions to be answered in your article... Read More
1) Don't use all capitals in your title:People don't like... Read More
Need traffic? Write an article.Need sales? Write an article.Need Your... Read More
I've been blogging occasionally over the last two months about... Read More
These 7 Important Elements are your Blueprint to Article Writing... Read More
Being an Internet Article Author is far and away the... Read More
You've already agreed that putting some of your best articles... Read More
It is a well known fact that writing, distributing and... Read More
Whether you own your own affiliate website, or subscription website,... Read More
Find definitions from H to P... ~~~~~~~~~~~ H ~~~~~~~~~~~ Haiku... Read More
To be successful at any affiliate marketing program, you not... Read More
Overture reports over 1 million queries for article keyword related... Read More
Article Writing |