The Most Powerful Tool in a Writer’s Arsenal
Writer: Tracey Buchanan
J.K. Rowling, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, and Col. Sanders all failed repeatedly and, by some standards, miserably. You’ve heard their stories…
Rowlings’ writing was deemed “too conventional,” “too long,” “too weird,” and “too old-fashioned.”
Thomas Edison was considered unintelligent by his teachers.
Walt Disney was fired from his newspaper job because he “lacked creativity.”
Col. Sanders didn’t achieve success with Kentucky Fried Chicken until he was in his 60s.
These success stories have a common theme. Was it good luck—being in the right place at the right time—that propelled them into achieving their dreams? Was it tremendous talent? Did they know the right people?
Well, maybe a dash of those elements was present, but I would contend these people would not inspire us if not for one crucial trait that each of them had.
Perseverance.
I think it’s the most powerful tool anyone who wants to see their dream come to fruition has. And, fortunately, it’s available to everyone. You don’t have to have money, connections, extraordinary talent, or luck to develop it.
The good news is that every of us can persevere. It’s not a trait exclusive to a certain sex, race, nationality, appearance, or age. The bad news is that developing it can hurt. Along the way to achieving your dream, you’re probably going to hear the thud of the answer “no” land like a hammer to your hope more than once.
Some of us lean toward perseverance because of our innate personalities. Parents, teachers, friends, and spouses might have even labeled us as stubborn (and not in a “Hey, I admire your tenacity” sort of way). Some of us are maddeningly single-minded, so much so that it gets in the way of our success. There’s a time to cut your losses and move on to a new project.
Perseverance is different from stubbornness. Stubborn people are determined not to change their attitudes or position on something even when a good argument is made to do so. Persevering people, on the other hand, continue in a course of action despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
Let’s think about who we are at our core. Writers are usually sensitive people, meaning we feel things deeply and notice what others overlook. That makes us vulnerable to feeling pain when difficulties and delays inevitably come our way. Our temptation is to avoid those feelings, and one way to avoid those feelings is to quit. We stop feeling the pain of rejection because we don’t submit. We stop feeling the hurt of criticism because we stop producing. And let’s face it, those of us with the toughest of skins still have a twinge of disappointment when we’re told no.
So, how can we as writers develop our perseverance muscles? Fortunately, I’m an expert in perseverance, so it’s your lucky day. I’ve been a writer most of my life (I’m 62) and like everyone, I’ve endured “no, thank you’s” and—maybe worse—complete silence regarding my writing. I wrote anyway. I got tougher, stronger, better. You can too.
Here are three ways you can increase your ability to persevere:
- Learn from setbacks. Accept that rejection is part of the writer’s life and use every “no” as a navigating tool. A pattern of rejections may mean your piece isn’t ready. Ask yourself and others how your writing could be improved (and don’t resist criticism). Consider rejections setbacks not roadblocks. And, really, they aren’t even setbacks because you eliminate something each time. As our friend Edison said, “I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”
- Remember your reasons. I write because it’s my passion. I love it when the words come fast and furiously. I also love it when I must slow down to let ideas simmer. But writing’s not only my passion, it’s meaningful to me. Reflect on why you’re writing and evaluate the purpose of your work. Passion coupled with purpose is unstoppable.
- Enjoy the process. The fact is you’re not going to persevere if you’re miserable. Reframe negative thoughts and evaluate why you don’t enjoy a part of the process. Reward yourself when you do something you don’t especially want to. Chocolate can make you love almost anything. Just saying.
So, writer, can you relate? Are you too weird, not smart enough, lacking talent, or too old? And are you ready to prove the critics wrong? Don’t give up. That’s step one.
About the Writer:
Tracey Buchanan crashed into the literary world when she was six and won her first writing award. Fast forward through years as a journalist, mom, volunteer, freelance writer, editor, artist, and circus performer (not really, but wouldn’t that be something?) and you find her happily planted in the world of fiction with her debut novel Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace (Regal House Publishing, June 2023). She and her husband live in the UNESCO Creative City of Paducah, Ky. They have two married sons and seven (amazing) grandkids. You can find her catch-all blog at TraceyBuchanan.com.
Website: traceybuchanan.com