There’s a quote on the bulletin board by my desk that says, “There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.” ~Hodding Carter Jr.
I thought this week how a writer can apply that to his/her life. The ‘roots’ of your writing life must run deep if you’re going to make it in the world of writing. Because there will be some tough winds along the way.
Winds of discouragement. Winds of family or friends who won’t support your writing, who may wonder why you don’t get a ‘real’ job. The hours are long. Rejections come, sometimes falling faster than raindrops.
Put down roots to determine that you won’t quit, that you won’t give up on your writing goals or dreams despite what comes. You’ll make your roots out of determination, hard work, and a thick skin.
The wing’s of a writer’s life? Dreams. Aim for your dreams. Henry Ford said, “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”
No matter what happens, keep your eyes on your dream, whatever they may be. Give yourself wings. Like a new baby bird just learning to fly, you won’t be the most graceful bird in the air. Understand that you might not think you’re any good, but that doesn’t mean you’re not flying.
From talking to many writers, both unpublished and published, I can tell you that writers often doubt their abilities. Even best-selling, award winning writers.
But what they did is they flew anyway, not knowing where that flight would end, only knowing they had to answer the call in their heart and fly.
Soar on the wings of your dreams. Don’t give up.
Ah, you’ve managed to inspire in so few words! Well done. And thank you for sharing the quote about roots and wings, I’m always happy to discover new ones! I agree with everything you said, and I do forget award-winning authors have doubts and fears also. It’s a good wake-up call, I’ve given myself wings, now for putting the roots…
Thank you! I loved your post on shutting up the inner critic-I’m going to share the link with others. That was great advice and a trick that I’ll use from now on.
You know, this post came at just the right time for me. Thanks for the words to lift us up!
You’re welcome, Suzanne! I enjoyed your post about revising a NaNo novel and I loved your Mark Twain quote LOL-that was too funny.
Sonya,
Thank you for the timely blog titled Determination. It arrived just in the nick of time.
Glad it did! The cover for Harbinger of Evil is shiver-worthy! Wow.
Thank you, Sonya.
My daughter took my order and came through for me (as usual).
You mean other writers think about quitting every day? I have definitely gone through periods of that. The marketing and promoting can be daunting and the work is exhausting, but the fact that I’ve come so far and I still have stories to tell keeps me driving forward despite my doubts. Thanks for the reminder that I’m not alone:-)
I know, right? I know you’ve come far with your great stories and you’re an inspiration to others.
Thanks for this great post, Sonya! Sometimes you come across things exactly when you need them.
Glad it could help. Love the look of your website and congratulations on your book!
Perfect timing, thank you. I’ve had an injured wing and the winter winds have kicked up making me want to find someplace more comfortable, less daunting, and stable. Good thing blogs like yours offers the substance we need to keep forging forward.
Been there! You have a fantastic video of Riley’s Pond! Wow. Very intriguing.