How do you decide if your writing attempt is successful?  Does it have to be an A+, or is a C successful?  Maybe it’s not even about grades.  If you write for fun, or in a journal, what do you consider successful?  In my own writing, at first I thought I would be successful only if my novels were published.  That hasn’t happened yet, but I do feel successful.  I have learned that you don’t need an A+ (or a publishing contract) to feel accomplished as an author.  Personal pride and the praise of others have made me feel great!

Pride in your work will lead to a feeling of success.  Don’t leave the first draft, with all its crossouts and erasures, to stand alone.  Rewrite it, or type it, so your work looks neat.  This tells the reader that you care about it.  Read over your work before you start that final draft.  Examine every word (more on Revising in future posts) to make sure you have said what you wanted to say in the clearest way.  If you’ve done your best, then you can be proud of your piece.

Praise for your written word will also make you feel successful.  Share your work with others and let them tell you how much they liked your villain, or your choice of scary words, or how your climax scared them.  After I joined TheNextBigWriter.com, a lot of people read my novels and my short stories.  Not everyone liked them, but everyone had praise for some part of my work, and that made me feel like a successful author.

So write for yourself and be proud of your finished product.  Then share it, and reap the praise.  Try it!

♥

On my Kindle: Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton