I Reserve the Right To Be Smarter Today Than I Was Yesterday

Here are some useful ideas I'm reasonably certain are true.

The best explicit advice I have received in the past two years of writing has been "Write". It's all very well to talk about Writing, it and learn about it and read about it and so forth, but none of that gets you very far unless you actually write on a regular basis. Preferably until you can barely stand it any more. The only thing worse you can imagine is Not Writing.

The second best insight I have come to terms with by listening to others is that "Writing" and "Editing" and "Getting Published" and "Selling What You Have Written" are four distinct activities. I have discovered some things, by now, about writing. I know nest to nothing about any of those other things.

Writing Success " requires either:

• Little reflection (Just Do It), or
• Lots of reflection (The unexamined writing life is not worth living)

For me, the "lots of" option will not let go of my leg. For you, it may be a waste of time. Either may be just the right one for you.

If you are interested in what Writing Success means, I have some thoughts that may be useful.

• We all need to distinguish between "Successful Writing" and "Successful Acceptance". This is difficult to do in the face of repeated "No's".
• Everyone's definition of Writing Success is personal. We all contribute and find our satisfaction, not only in separate ways, but in different proportions.
• No model is perfect. At the same time, some models are more helpful than others. 
• Here is my updated version of the Four Factor Model of Writing Success -- Mastery, Chemistry, Discipline, Community. Mercifully brief descriptions will appear on the next blog installment.

For some of us, Writing Success looks relatively balanced:

Mastery	Chemistry
Discipline	Community

For others, it is more like this:

Mastery	Chemistry
Discipline	Community

For others, it would be this:

Mastery	Chemistry
Discipline	Community

For others, this:

Mastery	Chemistry
Discipline	Community

And so forth.

Now, when I am at my most sane, but have found myself immobilized, frustrated, out of time and ideas, I check to see if I am trying to achieve goals in all of the Four Factors immediately, simultaneously, and with excellence. Good luck, especially if you have not been writing for years.

The old joke response to "How do you eat an elephant?" is "One bite at a time." Some of us are happier and more gifted in one or two Factors, some or all of the time.

So be it.

Each of us is unique. 

But we're not likely Martians.