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Tuesday, October 11, 2016

HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS IN YOUR WRITING?


Was Emily Dickinson a success?

 
Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.

Not one of all the purple Host
Who took the Flag today
Can tell the definition
So clear of victory

As he defeated – dying –
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!


When Emily Dickinson died in 1884, she was unknown as a poet outside of a small circle of family and friends. 

Dickinson’s poetic legacy consisted of almost 1800 poems, and no instructions about what to do with them.

The story of how those close to her battled obscurity and each other to publish her poems 

could be a riveting novel all by itself!

If you died without knowing whether your novels meant anything to anyone, 

would it matter if in the future they did?


Success

Is success in your writing always upping the game to your tales, always improving in your craft, 

or is it merely revealed in your sales figures?

Writers struggle to define success, 

for it is like the horizon, forever out of reach no matter how far you travel in your writing journey.

Tell me what you think, will you?


THE TWO WINNERS OF THE MYSTERY PRIZES FOR COMMENTS
 ON 
MY GUEST POST ON ALEX'S BLOG



 THE CYNICAL SAILOR
who wins the audio book



and 


ROBYN ALANA ENGEL

who wins the audio book





Thank You To All Who Commented

I will draw two more prizes
from those who comment tomorrow!



13 comments:

  1. Great post, as always. (I feel like a broken record on here.)

    To me, while I'd love to be the next Stephen King, being a success as a writer means:

    1) Being able to scrape by with my earnings;
    2) Touching at least one person with my writing.

    If I've made at least one person's day brighter with my books (or darker, as the case may be), then I've done my job and can hold my head high.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Holli, your definition is the same as mine. :-) I pray your writing touches many hearts in the days to come.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Roland - interesting about Emily ... and wasn't that a good thing ... she was published.

    Success ... I hope to goodness I get to publish some of my blog-stories ... but who knows I must buck myself up ... it's having happiness in the writing as I go ... and enjoying the interaction we get ...

    I'd love to be able to do more and open the historical ways of lore and life to many ... cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was wonderful for the rest of us that Emily's sister published those beautiful poems.

      I hope all your publishing dreams come true!

      Delete
  4. Well, a lot of what might be defined as success is out of our hands to some extent, in terms of sales figures and things taking off. I like to measure it in terms of small things to achieve on a day-to-day basis, like another 1000 words written or story edited. That's the groundwork you need to get anywhere. Like J.H., I'd be happy making a difference to just one person!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that lightning stroke of luck that propels into the public limelight is certainly out of our control all right.

      You are right in that the small steps will get us closer to our goal of a well-written product, too.

      You and everyone else agrees with J.H. Wise lady.

      Delete
  5. Success is if I made a difference to others.
    Congratulations to Ellen and Robyn!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was so happy when my computer program drew their names!

      More winners from my guest post on your blog to follow. :-)

      And you are already a success for you have made a wonderful difference in so many lives here on the Net.

      Delete
  6. I'd love to find an audience before I die, but I'm also a severe foot-dragger when it comes to marketing. So I'm my own worst enemy in that way. Small steps are all I've managed so far.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You and I would both to find that audience before we die! Marketing is so hard to do originally. Sigh! :-)

      Delete
  7. Success is when I finished something and if only 1 person enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me, too. Though I would not turn down being as popular as popular in my genre as was Louis L'Amour! :-)

      Delete
  8. Thanks so much for the audiobook! I'm really looking forward to listening to it. :-)

    ReplyDelete