Some writers persist at the craft of writing—they succeed at publishing, finding an audience, even making a living from their words. But many more do not. Is a penchant for success just something you’re born with, like good genes or brown hair? Not at all. Persistence is the key factor, the dividing line, between writers who succeed and writers who merely wish to. It comes not from mental acuity or superstrength but from finding the deep meaning and joy at the root of your writing practice and calling on this joy to get you through the challenges. If you believe in what you’re writing, take pleasure in the act of doing so, learn to keep working when it’s hard, and put in place a range of strategies to weather the rough patches, you are that much more likely to persist—and thus to succeed.
In my years as a freelance journalist and radio host, during which I interviewed hundreds of writers, I can’t tell you how many times I heard the phrase, “I am not as successful as I would like to be.” This came from not only emerging writers but from New York Times best-selling authors as well. How can this be? The fear of not being “successful enough” is conjured from the ego’s dauntless quest for more, for better, for whatever is “over there.” To the ego, happiness exists outside of the self, and therefore, so does success. I’m here to reassure you that you can be happy with your writing practice right now, in this moment, if you choose to be. Moreover, taking this attitude and the practices recommended in this book will prepare the ground for your writing success. Thus when you do snag that publishing deal or grow your audience into a vibrant community of eager readers, you won’t find yourself empty, discouraged, or wishing for a different kind of success.
A Writer’s Guide to Persistence is a tool kit to support you through the unique challenges of the literary art so that you can create a sustainable, long-term writing practice without being swayed by the constant changes, negative criticism, and doubts that come with the territory.
This books aims to help you feel comforted, supported, and less alone, and also offers practical tricks to free you from detrimental habits. It aims to get you back on your feet after a variety of crises and common writer calamities so that you can do the important writing you are meant to do and nourish your writer’s spirit. If you are called to write, you must take it seriously, and this book can help you do just that.
This book was inspired by the many, many talented writers I know, published in myriad ways: by their own hands, through a small press, or with a big publisher. They are all human, full of fears and doubts just like the rest of us, but also motivated, persistent, and hardworking—qualities that count toward cultivating success.
The concept of success has been co-opted by the flash-bang spirit of that tiny percent of writers who achieve rock star, billionaire status. It’s been twisted to be synonymous with fame, fortune, and world renown. While I can’t argue that those conditions do add up to success, there are many, many other factors that don’t have anything to do with the approval of another person (or publication) but that lead to fulfillment as a writer. As long as you focus on an outcome you have no control over, you will come to your writing with conflicted feelings that range from frustration to despair. And focusing on what you can’t control will hamper your ability not only to reach for those larger goals of success but also to do the very thing you came here to do: sit down and write.
There is a fine line between the creation of art for its own sake and sharing that art with an audience. We live in a culture that says fame and fortune await anyone willing to work hard enough. But not everyone will be J.K. Rowling or Stephen King. Once you surrender to this truth, you can see what is on the other side of fame and fortune; i.e., all the worthy reasons you started writing in the first place, including joy, purpose, expression, connection, discovery, journeying, catharsis, and having a deep, rich, and meaningful writing practice.
If this book can do anything for you, it can remind you that no situation is bad enough that it deserves to steal your joy or right to write. This book is a refuge for dealing with the challenges and woes that all writers face. It helps you focus instead on making your art—on writing—which then gives you something important to share with an audience. By coming from a joyful place of authenticity and doing consistent work, your writing will stand a chance of rising above to reach many others. Read the chapters in order, or choose those chapters that speak to your particular challenges.
Above all, be persistent.
JORDAN E. ROSENFELD