Good morning my friends on this 11th day of July. I hope this finds you well.
Today we are going to talk about failing as a writer. Oh boy! Just what we all need, a reminder that we will never be Harper Lee. LOL
No, I promise this will end up uplifting, or inspirational, or at the very least painless.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.”
Abraham Lincoln
Leave it to Old Abe to give things some clarity. Writing is a great field to get into if you want to get in touch with failure. Anyone who has ever submitted an article for publication knows about failure. Anyone who has self-published a book knows about failure.
But is it really failure? Just the act of writing a book is a success in my book. Just having the guts to submit work is a success. Just being willing to go public with your work is a success. And just having the willingness to push forward despite the setbacks is an act of determination and yes, success.
Do not give up. Learn from the rejections and keep trying. I would hate to see you give up just before the miracle happens.
SITE OF THE DAY
Topica has a list of writer’s critique groups where you can get constructive criticism of your writing. You can find it here.
CONTEST OF THE DAY
Let’s embrace failure and enter a contest. Here’s one you might want to try. The Porter Fleming Literary Competition is taking submissions now. The cost is $15 per submission and you can find their guidelines here.
MAGAZINE OF THE DAY
Explore Magazine takes quite a bit of work from freelance writers. They specialize in articles about outdoor activities, so if you are interested then you can find their guidelines here.
PROMPT OF THE DAY
See it…..feel it….find inspiration from it….and then write!
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
I know of no other way to find success in writing than to write. Keep writing. Learn along the way, better your craft, and write some more. There are no short cuts in this writing game. You have to work for success.
SEE YOU ON FRIDAY
I’m having internet issues so I’m going to cut this short and see if I can’t resolve those issues. Have a great day and I’ll see you tomorrow. As always, thank you so much for stopping by. Remember, if you would like to guest blog on this site, just let me know, and if there is a subject you would like me to cover, just shout it out.
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 
Oh love your words of wisdom here, too. Thank you seriously for always telling it like it is, as well as you own positive spin. Hope your Internet issues get resolved and so close the weekend again, my friend!! 🙂
So far today, Janine, there are no problems…crossing my fingers and hoping. 🙂 Thank you and enjoy your Thursday my friend.
Hmmmm…isn’t ‘contentment within failure’ already SUCCESS? lol..
just sayin’…
love ya..(sorry, it’s a smart-ass kinda day…lol)
Never apologize to me about a smart ass comment, Leslie…I was born and raised with daggers for teeth. 🙂 The better to bite you with my dear.
I liked Abraham’s quote…although gotta admit that if I would become content with my failure…I will not rise and fight back thus, bow to failure but rise up and fight like a warrior.
I like how you give information about writings on other platforms.
Happy Thursday!
Thank you Ruchira. I have one of those weird personalities where failure is just added incentive to me. Good thing because I have had lots of practice. LOL Have a wonderful evening.
I would love to guest blog for you!!!
You are more than welcome…let me know when you have it written and then send it to me at holland1145@yahoo.com
Bill, I hate failing. I grew up (still am a bit) as a real goody goody in school and at home, so whenever I got in trouble for small things or called out, I felt like my world was going to come crashing down and I’d burst into tears. It’s still taking me some getting used to, I’ll admit – but I’m getting there! The great thing about failures is that it makes you want to try harder. I almost always push further than what I thought I could, just so that I can prove someone else wrong. Great post and happy weekend!
Mel, thanks for your honesty and I think you speak for a great many people. Failure can be crushing, and it definitely can affect our psyches….and then we writers must face it almost daily, and face it alone…..and that really plays with our heads. 🙂
I love your honesty and willingness to share your thoughts. Thank you!