WHAT IS SUCCESSFUL WRITING?
How I measure success will differ greatly from someone else.
Money is important – we need it to live but for me, it is essential to enjoy the creative journey.
I am not being romantic or unrealistic. I have struggled enough with money in the past not to promote any fantasy of it being fun.
You need enough money to survive while you develop your work.
So what does a writer do?
First of all, decide on your own definition of success.
Do you measure in money?
Do you measure in critical acclaim?
Winning prizes?
Both?
Next figure out how to survive financially while you work towards your goals. Could you try any of the following options?
Work part-time?
Get up an hour earlier to write?
Give up soap operas to write?
Compress your working hours into longer days – giving you an extra day to write?
These are just a suggestions – only you know your current circumstances well enough to make these decisions.
But think about it – how much time are you willing to devote to your writing?
SUCCESSFUL WRITING V CREATIVITY
Successful writing and creativity don’t always go together – at least not in the economic sense.
Many people believe that some of us are born creative and some of us are not.
Yet, it is the act of creating that makes us creative – everyone can create something.
Therefore it is how the ‘creative product’ is perceived that makes it successful.
In other words – if people like what you create they will buy it.
If not they won’t.
Creativity has nothing to do with ‘the market’ or ‘success.’
Those are separate concepts.
When you are in the act of creation you should focus all your concentration there – not on the market or money.
Marketing and money come after the act of creation.
There are many very creative people who are not very good at marketing and there are less creative people who are.
Commercial success does not depend solely on creativity.
There are other factors such as current trends, marketing, and promotion etc.
Financial support while learning is very important also.
Struggling to survive can sap the energies of a creative person, taking a job that pays the bills can leave little time for writing.
The broke writer juggling jobs will certainly have less time to focus on their art than someone who is living off a trust fund.
I am not saying that you have to be financially secure to pursue your art but I am saying it certainly helps.
At the end of the day though, what really matters is the work.
Stories don’t write themselves, any more than paintings paint themselves.
What matters most is that you apply yourself to your writing on a regular basis.
Creativity is a muscle and to be strong creatively you need to exercise this muscle – by making sure you write regularly.
To help you with this try these time management tips.
If you are feeling stuck for ideas try these creative writing exercises.
Don’t monitor your progress when you are in the act of writing.
Just let the words out and get them down.
You can go back and edit later but your words will flow if you allow yourself to write without stopping.
This will instill a writing habit and a writing habit is an absolute must for successful writing.
Best of luck with your writing.
Grace
P.S. I love helping writers and this article and all the other articles are free for you. You can show your appreciation by liking, sharing and commenting. You can also help other writers by spreading the word.
My book, Practical Creative Writing Exercises has helped many writers lose their writer’s block and got them started on great stories.
It is packed full of information and exercises.
For a short time the book is priced at less than the price of a cup of coffee – so now is the best time to get yours.
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