Justin Newland
Three things. The first is summed up in a saying I saw on Facebook, which goes something like 'There are two kinds of writers, those who gave up, and those who didn't.' I think dedication and discipline are two essential ingredients of success - in anything. The second is the support structures - from being part of some great writing groups, going to Cons, being on panels, meeting other writers, working with editors, giving readings, going on courses, getting short stories published, being around other creative people. the third is that writing is a craft that needs many skills. You have to be able to hold many strands and characters in your mind at the same time, and pull together many threads - and you have to be good at them all, from writing to editing, to planning, to research. I also realised along the way is that I was no good at editing and the reason was that I didn't like it. That was a vicious circle, feeding itself. So I determined to get good at editing, which now I have achieved to some degree. Work in progress, of course.
Three things. The first is summed up in a saying I saw on Facebook, which goes something like 'There are two kinds of writers, those who gave up, and those who didn't.' I think dedication and discipline are two essential ingredients of success - in anything. The second is the support structures - from being part of some great writing groups, going to Cons, being on panels, meeting other writers, working with editors, giving readings, going on courses, getting short stories published, being around other creative people. the third is that writing is a craft that needs many skills. You have to be able to hold many strands and characters in your mind at the same time, and pull together many threads - and you have to be good at them all, from writing to editing, to planning, to research. I also realised along the way is that I was no good at editing and the reason was that I didn't like it. That was a vicious circle, feeding itself. So I determined to get good at editing, which now I have achieved to some degree. Work in progress, of course.
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