And to add to the many benefits of belonging to this wonderful group, today we're running a contest of prodigious proportions. Please join us and maybe take a bit of the generosity home with you.
And now to share a little wisdom and insecurity today I wanted to talk about failure. Everyone who has ever tried to be a writer has experienced failure of one sort or another. Rejected stories, published stories that don't sell well or receive negative reviews, and don't forget those book signings where no one shows up but your family. But each failure can teach a writer something. Without failure, there would be no drive to improve. The more we fail as writers, the more we write and try again. Don't take failure to heart, but use it as a step up to the next level.
So please visit the IWSG blog and join up today. You could win!!!! Also like our Facebook page. It's a pretty busy place.
Have your failures helped you learn something? Care to put a number on your rejections? Have you joined the IWSG blog or Facebook page?
24 comments:
I like to think they have. Once their initial sting is over I think they can make you stronger and more determined. Thanks for reminding us not to give into failure.
That's the thing about being a writer - it's supposed to help you develop a thick skin what with the rejections, disappointments, etc.
I admit I've only had one rejection so far, but only because I've only made one submission! I fully expect to get plenty more rejections when I get around to sending out queries.
We wouldn't appreciate the joy of success if we didn't experience failure.
Every time we fail and then get back up and try again, we grow stronger.
Yeah failure comes with everything, but better to have tried and failed to never at all
I like to think that if I learned something from my failures, then they're not really failures after all. I succeeded in pulling something useful from them so they can't be all bad.
(Of course, this happens after I've cried and stomped around a bit and ate too much chocolate but still….}
I just gave Tweet. Good luck with everything!
I am writing my first book, and am bracing for rejection. Hope it doesn't happen...
I don't think it's possible to grow as a writer if you don't experience failure at some point on the journey.
I would hate to think failures, or more accurately disappointments, didn't move me forward and teach me!
Thank you, as always, for the encouragement - and the reminder that failure is a normal part of being a writer. Maybe it sounds funny, but it's so good to know I'm not alone. It's part of why I appreciate the IWSG.
Hi, Susan…
Every failure is a learning experience. Many time we just miss the mark. But if we look at it a something to build on, then perhaps we can steam roll through and improve.
In my post I talked about a rejection which ended up with a really positive note. If we believe in ourselves and our talent, we will persevere and hopefully attain our goals.
I have someone critiquing my WIP as I go. I thought it would be devastating when something was found that was "not so good." Turns out, I love hearing about the aspects that are not working. Now, I know what to work on.
Failure is tough to deal with - so I prefer to think of each fail as a stepping stone to better. It almost works :)
I watched Meet the Robinsons the other day and I must say, it put my own failures in their proper place: behind me.
I'm so much of a perfectionist, it can be hard for me to view failure in a positive light like this. (Which is unhealthy, I know, but still so hard to reverse...)
I think the contest is going to be a hit!! smart people around these parts!
Yep, when we fail we strive to do better. :)
Failure turns us into GREAT writers. ;)
Absolutely, that's what failure's for. :) No idea how many to date - I burned all the hard copies a few years ago. Best fire ever!
It takes pain to help us appreciate the good!
As I'm collecting some of my first rejections, your post is very timely. And helpful. Thanks, Sue!!
Failure is my middle name!
It's not, but it really should be. Failing has made me stronger, albeit a lot more jaded too.
I write bakes and each time I test one, if something doesn't work (or if it does), I learn. I learn a TON from my mistakes. Which is fantastic.
Post a Comment