Every writer has a different definition of success. Most writers admit that nothing compares to getting the first fan letter, and some say that success for them is simply writing the first draft of a novel. When it comes to writing, success means different things to different writers. However, that does not dispute the fact that there are writers who are considered successful universally, by other writers and readers in general. So what do they have? Below, we have gathered some of the key ingredients for a recipe for successful writing, but keep in mind that when it comes to writing, and writing success, luck is a great factor as well.
1. Read everything
If you feel like you need to focus only on your writing, and not read anything in the meantime, or that you only need to read books in your genre, you’re very wrong. Instead, read everything you can get your hands on, from your genre, to poetry and nonfiction. Find the time to read novels and books that specifically do not belong in your genre, and always find time to read poetry, even if you’re not a poet yourself. A writer benefits from every sentence he or she reads in their lifetime. Reading everything means you might come across great writing, but you will also come across books that are not so good. This will help you recognize a piece of work that is well written from a bad book. Even if your judgment is completely subjective, you can use it after to review your own work, learn what mistakes you might be making, and constantly improve.
2. Create the right mindset
Having a writing career is not easy, because success is not only unique, but it is also not guaranteed and even if you achieve your previous goals, there are always new goals to take their place. Such is the nature of writing careers – if you had one successful year, you might have more than a few where you wouldn’t feel like you’re achieving writing success. There is also the trouble of feedback – from other writers, editors and publishing houses. You might get a rejection or critique more often than positive feedback. What you mustn’t forget is that you need to use the critique to learn where you’ve gone wrong, what to work on in order to improve, and develop a thick skin that will help you deal with negatives and rejections. You need that mindset in order not to get discouraged and give up.
3. Work constantly on technique
Today, you can skip dealing with publishing houses by self-publishing. It seems like a great idea, and it actually is a great idea…if your writing is very good, your stories are unique, well written, your characters are well developed and you’ve dotted all the I’s and crossed all the t’s of the publishing process, including marketing and promoting your book. However, no matter how well you promote your book, if your writing is not up to par, you will still not get the kind of success you wished for. However, avoid this by constantly working on improving your technique. Read books about writing, attend courses, both online and offline, which focus on writing style, characterization, plotting, etc. to get better all the time. As a writer, one thing you have to remember is that with every sentence you’re writing, you’re learning to write better.
4. Try to get feedback
Do not be an isolated writer who refuses to get feedback until they’ve perfected and polished their work. Send your work out to friends, join writing communities, and submit your short stories in writing competitions. Don’t keep your work all to yourself, after all, your writing career goal should involve having your work read by many people. Start small, and send your babies out to get feedback. Of course, don’t send out your work without revising it, but edit it is as best as you can. You will get both praise and critique. Use the comments you receive to focus on what you still need to learn, and to perfect what you’re already doing well. It’s the one surefire way you will achieve goals after goals in your writing career.
5. Keep success mutable
Think of your writing career as a never ending hill climb. You might achieve some goals and enjoy a plateau for a while, but don’t allow yourself to stop there. If you’ve published a trilogy that has done well, think of new goals. Maybe you want to try a new genre, a new writing technique, or write a novel in a different style. Do not let yourself stagnate once you’ve reached a single goal. Keep going, and enjoy all the ways in which a writing career can be successful. Also, use the mutability of writing success to motivate yourself – set smaller goals first, achieve them, then go try to achieve a bigger goal by creating small milestones on the way.
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Georgina Roy wants to live in a world filled with magic. As an art student, she’s moonlighting as a writer and is content to fill notebooks and sketchbooks with magical creatures and amazing new worlds. When she is not at school, or scribbling away in a notebook, you can usually find her curled up, reading a good urban fantasy novel, or writing on her laptop, trying to create her own.