Thursday, August 05, 2010

You don't want them to cut you any slack

With a little luck, you say. You pray for that famous stroke of fate that propels you into publication. If only you knew somebody. If only . . .

If you want a solid footing in this business, you want to work your way up - with all the blood and sweat that comes with falling on your face and failing, over and over. You want to become one of those successful writers who weathered scars. You don't want the shortcut.

Why the heck not? Because those who've earned their stripes know how to endure the hard times, overcome obstacles, and regroup to zip past others competing for that bookshelf spot/headline/magazine byline. Experience tells you how to adapt and overcome. Fast track to bestseller might sound marvelous, but if you don't understand how to scratch and clamor your way up, you won't know what to do when they knock you down.

Trust me . . . people won't take care of you when the spotlight falls on someone else - when you struggle with subsequent success -  when that second story just doesn't gel as well as the first.

Work hard to establish your foundation. Know the basics. Understand how the business works. Make friends and weave that fantastic network you're supposed to. Know what's supposed to happen when and for how long. See what's coming before it hits you.

Those who rise to fame via bullet shortcuts usually fall hard just as fast. Most of the time they never understand what hit them, and as a result, don't know how to regain their footing.

Take your time and create yourself into something long-lasting.

2 comments:

Bill said...

You always manage to inspire us out here in cyberland, and a writing we will go and a writing we will go...........

Anthony J. Langford said...

Well said.
Have to get there first.