Stubbornness: the Writer’s Super Power
Stubborn means you can securely stick with it!
You never hear the word stubborn used in a positive context; however, without it, you are sunk as a writer. It is one of those character traits that gets constant bad press, but is essential to survival in any tough situation.
Thesaurus.com lists stubborn this way: “adamant, bullheaded, determined, firm, fixed, hardheaded, headstrong, inflexible, intractable, obstinate, opinionated, persevering, persistent, relentless, rigid, self-willed, single-minded, steadfast, tenacious, tough, unbending, unshakable, wilful.”
Ouch! It’s the same as saying that ‘stubborn’ is made up of two four-letter words, strung together to create an obscenity. However, look at the gems that are in there: determined, persistent, steadfast, persevering. Plus in the face of trolls, cynicism, rejections and opinionated reviews, isn’t it better to be firm, fixed, single-minded and tenacious? Those are qualities which will stop you from abandoning your goals or giving in to those who have no right to a final say on your value.
Being too rigid and bullheaded may not be a character asset in every aspect of life, when used to empower your creative work, being obstinate can certainly have it’s benefits. So if you have a stubborn streak, when the road to success gets rough, wear it proudly. It will get you where complacent, compliant and yielding can never take you.
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