Good is Not Enough
For me, good is never enough. When I started submitting short stories, I was elated when I got an acceptance. I've published over sixty short stories now and that's good, but it's not enough.
When I got my first picture book acceptance, I was elated--jumping through the roof. The book will be available very soon and that's good, but it's not enough.
Plain and simple, I want more. No, I'm not being greedy. I want a writing career. When I started taking courses to become a better writer, I said I wasn't going to let writing just be a hobby. It was going to be my career. The problem? That's not easy to do.
The more I learn about publishing the more I learn that good isn't enough. I have to keep making myself a better writer. I have to keep submitting books and working toward more deals. Will I ever think what I'm doing is good enough? Probably not. Because like I said, I want to make this a career, which means constantly bettering myself and doing more.
How about you? Do you feel like good isn't enough? What do you do to make yourself better?
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Thanks, Londy. I agree. We have to keep moving forward and improving. No standing still or going backward.
I find that I return to reading classics the more that I write. Some are dated in language and style, but they have lessons about good storytelling tucked inside. I also love to "hear" their prose. The way writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald weave words is musical.
C., I love F. Scott Fitzgerald! I own three copies of The Great Gatsby. I also have his other books, but that one is my favorite.
Thanks for the post. I wish you all the best.