Recently I’ve had a few writer friends experience some very tough moments in their writing careers, and I was reminded yet again how important two things are for all writers: 1) emotional support from others and 2) maintaining a strong belief in yourself and your writing.
I can’t stress enough how essential it can be to reach out to fellow writers and others around you, to surround yourself with family and friends who offer support, encouragement, and understanding throughout your career.
As for believing in yourself and your writing, this can be the most difficult part of persevering in this biz. Here are a few quotes I’ve found helpful in staying motivated through the rough stuff.
"Believe in yourself and in your own voice, because there will be times in this business when you will be the only one who does. Take heart from the knowledge that an author with a strong voice will often have trouble at the start of his or her career because strong, distinctive voices sometimes make editors nervous. But in the end, only the strong survive." -- Jayne Ann Krentz
"Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean." - Christopher Reeve
"Keep away from people who try to belittle your dreams. Small people always do that, but the really great ones make you feel that you too, can become great." -- Mark Twain
“There is no agony like having an untold story inside you.” -- Zora Neale Hurston
“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” -- Thomas Edison
"All writers are crazy. So never mind what the editors and your family and your critique group tells you. Submit your manuscripts and keep submitting until you get an offer. Then you can be crazy, with a paycheck." -- MaryJanice Davidson
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action; and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. You must keep that channel open. It is not for you to determine how good it is, nor how valuable. Nor how it compares with other expressions. It is for you to keep it yours, clearly and directly. -- Martha Graham
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails...explore...dream....discover. -- Mark Twain
Sloan Parker has been writing and playing with fictional characters for years, but she finally found her true passion when she began telling stories about two men (or more) falling in love. Now she spends her writing life creating m/m erotic romances and romantic suspense. She loves to explore the lives of people who are growing as individuals while falling in love. Her greatest moments in life are spent with her family, her friends, and her characters. For info on her books and to read free fiction, visit www.sloanparker.com
10 comments:
Thank you. I needed to read this today.
Savannah: So glad the timing was right for you on this one. I hope the quotes helped. Hang in there!
You are so right about surrounding ourselves with support from those who really understand what we go through. And I love the quotes you chose. Thank you for this post.
Great post, Sloan. Success comes from perseverance, but that is so hard to do with out support groups and words of encouragement like this!
Thanks for sharing them today.
Jayne: Thanks! Glad you liked the quotes and the post. I appreciate each and every one of you and all the support you've given me.
Constance: Thanks and you're welcome! That's very true about perseverance. It's so hard to begin with but to try and do it on our own would make it even harder on ourselves.
Sloan: I needed this words. Thanks for channeling what I need to me.
Hi Sloan, I esp. loved the quote from Martha Graham. I haven't read that one before and it rang so true! Love your image at the beginning of the post, too. I have always known "perseverance" was a strength of mine, but I have never had it tested as much as when I chose to pursue this "crazy" endeavor called "writing a book."
Shay: So glad this post came for you at the right time. Hang in there! You've got so many great things going for you and much more to come.
PM: I love that Martha Graham quote too. I'm right there with you on thinking I did pretty good with perseverance before writing a book. Pursuing a writing career sure did teach me a lot about myself (both good and bad *grin*)
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