Conquering Fears. And Perseverance.

That’s Conquering your fears as a writer. As well as your paralyzing need to have your writing perfect. Sound familiar? Keep reading.

And as the agents that come to the James River Writers Conference [in October if you are interested. ;)], Perseverance is often the difference between the published writer and the one not published because they gave up.

To get some great advice that will help your writing. And hit you where your writer sits, check out this great post.

For those that don’t want to take time to click on it, here’s some of what jumped out to me. Or jumped on me. Really. I’m trying to fight it off. It’s sticking Way too close.

While this seems to be talking about writing with a message, it hit me just as with writing....

“......Not your “perfect” writing.

And if you’re preventing yourself from letting people see your writing because you’re stressing over the perfection of it… well, your message never makes it out there to the people you want it to reach.

So give yourself permission to write what you need to write in the way you want to write it. Stop stressing over what people will think of your work. That’s not important. Start getting excited about sharing your message instead – and making sure that the people who need to hear it actually do. ....”

and it goes Really well along with ....

# 5: Blast Perfectionism and Thrive

Linda Formichelli, author of The Renegade Writer, a blog about “living and loving the freelance life,” recommends:

“I teach and mentor writers, and a huge sticking point I always hear from them is that they’re afraid to put their work out there if it’s not perfect. So they wait and wait, and get caught in analysis-paralysis — and of course, they have no success.

I don’t know about you, but nothing I do is perfect. That includes the way I parent my toddler, my cooking skills, and — you got it — my writing. And yet, I’ve been published in more than 130 magazines, from Woman’s Day to Health to Redbook.

Let me assure you: There is no such thing as perfect. Editors (and readers) are all individuals so what one loves, another will hate. You can’t predict it. All you can do is do your best and get your ideas and your queries and your letters of introduction out there. The mediocre idea you send out has an infinitely better chance of being accepted than the one that you never send to an editor because it’s not “perfect.” ......

Which leads into the Perseverance part....

#6: Understand the Importance of Perseverance

Therese Walsh of Writer Unboxed, a blog about “the craft and business of fiction,” recommends:

“I’m not sure who said that the difference between an unpublished and published writer is perseverance, but I believe it. ........

And continues on with a lot of other great and thought provoking, or at least mulling worthy thoughts and advice from other writers.

Come on admit it, we have great advice and inspiration. It’s even that much greater when it’s generously shared.

Since a lot of this has come to sit way too close to me I thought I should share with you. So you can have the same kind of ‘company.’ I’m so generous. ;->