52 Qualities of Prosperous Writers - #6 is Passion

Christina Katz wrote this week about the role of passion in being a prosperous writer.

Passion is something I think I get. I am passionate about books, about writing, about my family, about kids, about self-discovery, about football, about crafts.... Actually, there are a LOT of things I am passionate about.  Maybe too many at times!

Christina encourages writers to exercise caution when it comes to passion - recognizing the "dark side" of passion when good sense and good manners get lost. Balance is key.

So, if I become obsessed with reading every book I can get my hands on because I just have to keep up with my blog and I just have to know how the story ends or because I know so-and-so will love it if it is as good as it sounds, and my house gets messy and laundry piles up and we live on junk food and my family is neglected, I have taken my passion too far. 

If I try to do everything that I am passionate about all at the same time with no sense of priorities or any kind of reasonable expectation, I will get overloaded and stressed out. I will be doing everything - at least for awhile - but not of it will be done well because I will be trying to do too much.

But if I create a plan, give myself grace when I just can't keep up with the plan, and periodically re-evaluate the plan to see if it is still feasible and doing what I need for it to do, then I can keep my passion in balance with the other things in my life. That balance will help me be successful - "prosperous" - in a variety of areas.

52 Qualities of Prosperous Writers - #5 is Perseverance

Can you stick to it when the going gets tough? Are you thick-skinned enough to pour yourself out onto paper and then ASK someone to criticize it and take it apart?

In a way, that is what writers do. They put their thoughts, opinions and feelings - as well as facts - into writing, and then they post it or submit it and take their chances that someone will think it stinks. If you don't have a thick skin, you might as well keep your writing to yourself.

There are moments when it is tempting to do just that. There are moments when I think I might just stick to blogging and journalling and not take the chance of rejection. It would be so much easier. Every time I am tempted, though, I find myself looking at new markets or jotting down ideas for an essay or article. I'm not ready to give up. I will persevere. It may not happen this year or next, but I will "keep moving forward." (Have you seen the Disney movie Meet the Robinsons? It inspires me no matter how many times I watch it!) I will persevere.

Thanks to Christina Katz for posting the question - and the 52 Qualities of Prosperous Writers in her weekly email newsletter. Check out her website for more information.

How are you persevering this year - in writing, in parenting, in your job, in life? I'd love to hear about it.

52 Qualities of Prosperous Writers - Quality #4 is Service

I have been blogging about Christina Katz' 52 Qualities of Prosperous Writers since the first of the year. This week's quality is Service.

Her description of service is two-fold. There is the service you provide to others - things like following through on commitments, giving people clear expectations, etc. There is also the service you provide to yourself - rest, balance, reasonable expectations, and grace when you (inevitably) screw up. 

I come by my perfectionism honestly - I'm an only child. And for me that perfectionism takes two forms. Either I don't try things because I know I can't get them just right or I kick myself over and over and over again when I get things wrong. 

For me, the first part of the description is "easy" - it comes more naturally. It is good business and good manners. The second part - balance and grace - takes more work

Focus is a beautiful thing!

The weekly question from The Prosperous Writer last week was about focus. How do you feel when you are focused or when you re-focus?

I love that feeling of focus - whether it is focus on a new goal or a re-focus on something you've lost sight of. I am routinely juggling multiple projects. I have my household-management responsibilities like laundry, shopping, paying bills, tracking expenses, etc. I sub at my son's school which is a job I enjoy but it often crops up at the last minute which can lead to lost focus. I lead a weekly writing club for kids in second through sixth grades. I have my own writing "career" I work on in spurts. I have three blogs. One of those is a book review blog, so I am reading regularly to have material to review. I like to create things with my hand - cards, scrapbook pages, cross stitch, and some failed attempts at knitting.

Most days I am a master juggler. I have a weekly to do list and a semi-regular routine. But when that routine gets rocked, I am a quivering lump of unfocused nerves. I feel overwhelmed and don't know what thread to pick up to start unraveling the mess. For me, this is one of the worst feelings ever. 

But finding a focus - a few goals to guide my priorities, a list, a plan - is like ice cream on a sweltering summer day. That is part of why I love January and a new year. It is an opportunity to start again, set new priorities, think through what is manageable, and make a plan. Focus is a beautiful thing.

Self-Respect

Christina Katz is posting the 52 Qualities of Prosperous Writers in her weekly e-zine The Prosperous Writer. This week she talks about self-respect.


In summary, she says that self-respect will help you set appropriate priorities for yourself and your family (rather than others or urgency setting priorities for you), take yourself and your writing seriously, and help you keep your sanity. I think these things apply more broadly to life than just in writing.


She asked her readers to rate themselves on a 1 to 10 scale regarding self-respect. I would put myself at a 6. I can say no, but usually feel some level of guilt. I am susceptible to flattery, so when someone says I would be good at something, I feel obligated to say yes even if I ultimately say no. I am learning to listen to trusted voices in my life who are very comfortable encouraging me to say no to distractions and yes to my personal priorities. This is something I can definitely work on in the coming year!

Dedication

One of my favorite writing resources is Christina Katz, the Writer Mama. She has authored two books - The Writer Mama and Get Known Before the Book Deal. She is a blogger who recently merged several blogs and newsletters into one.

In her January issue of her newsletter, "The Prosperous Writer," Christina asked, "Who do you dedicate your writing to in 2010?" Fascinating question. I never really thought about this. I generally write for me. That is probably one of the reasons that I don't submit my writing to anyone other than my writing mentor.

The more I thought about this, the more I realized I wanted to dedicate my writing in 2010 to my son. When I signed up for NaNoWriMo last November and endeavored to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days, my seven-year-old was skeptical. When I finished, he said, "I knew you might do it." Resounding support, huh? But I would like him to see me push forward and keep making progress on this writing dream of mine. I would like him to see me work at something and have it pay off over time. I would like him to see me model perseverance, which is something we talk to him about quite a bit.

So, I dedicate my writing, and my writing goals and aspirations in 2010 to my son. May he see me work and follow through and not give up and take risks this year.