Everyone has failed at something at some point in their lives. In the literary world, there are many ways in which you might “fail” as an author. Your latest book might not become a best-seller, or you might experience poor attendance at a book signing or event. Perhaps you found that stubborn typo that evaded capture by three or four sets of eyes during editing, only to bless your printed pages with its erroneous glee. Or perhaps you are just starting out, and you are already overwhelmed with the number of seemingly endless costs and must-haves out there that ensure your writing will soar high into the literary stratosphere. Failure is something that everyone dreads as they venture out into the great wide world of possibilities. However, “failing” can be a very enlightening and positive experience if you look at it in the right way.
Never measure your success by that of others.
Success should not be measured by how much we sell, or earn, or even how popular our work becomes. Instead, success should be measured by how hard we work toward our dreams and goals. It can be very difficult at any stage of the writer’s journey to compare your success or even your worth to that of others. The truth is every writer is different. Every writer has a different style, a different story to tell. Every writer also has different aspirations in mind. If we tried to measure ourselves against everyone else, we would only despair, or worse, we would gloat. Neither option is a positive use of one’s creative energy. The realistic option is to realize that no matter our starting circumstances, we are all aiming for the same universal goal of creating art and allowing that art to find its heart, its people, those who will ultimately cherish it and keep it safe for years to come.
Failure does not mean that it’s the end.
Perhaps this goal may take a year, maybe several years, or perhaps our whole lifetime to accomplish and get right. Perhaps we shall fail a few times here and there along the way, but our aim is set, and we must continue to strive for it. We must strive for it, not despite those failures, but because we can learn so much from them. Unwavering strength, courage, and experience are all valuable attributes we can acquire through failure, and with these, we can better forge the way to future success.
Trust your instincts and learn from your mistakes.
Mistakes happen. Events do not always go as planned. Pesky typos will persist in their devious designs to take over our manuscripts. It should only encourage you to keep pushing forward. The truth is that there is really no wrong way to accomplish the writer’s journey, and if you view every “failure” as a positive learning experience, then there really are no missteps. There are merely misshapen stepping stones that pave the way and make your path so much more interesting and uniquely you. Every writer’s path is unique to the one who wields the pen. Take everything that comes your way with grace and patience. Never cease to write, to learn, to put yourself and your work out into the world. With hard work and determination, it will definitely pay off in the end.
Keshia C. Willi
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