One Golden Writing Lesson I’ve Learned From Octavia Butler
Writing without results sucks balls sometimes.
The little lifestyle blog you worked on for 30 hours a week didn’t make you six-figures by the end of the year. Your inspirational blog post didn’t get millions of views you expected.
You want to see results with your writing. Now, you wished it happened more than ever. What’s the point of writing into the dark unknown?
COVID-19 completely changed the game this year. Companies are laying off workers, stores are closing, and governments are enforcing lockdowns. It’s a madhouse!
As much as I write, I am sometimes concerned about how my budding writing lifestyle will get through this pandemic (for transparency’s sake, I do have a part-time job, but I want my writing to grow more). I’ve witnessed my writing buddies laid off because of it. These are admirable people I’ve never thought would lose their positions.
Worries slowly started to take over my mind until I remembered a famous author: Octavia Butler. Now there was a writer who didn’t know when to quit.
Butler continued to read books even though she had dyslexia. She would wake up at 2 AM to write before she headed off to her jobs as a telemarketer and a potato chip inspector. Butler wrote no matter what she went through.
The one golden writing lesson Octavia Butler taught me: the power of persistence.
“You don’t start writing good stuff. You start out writing crap, and then you gradually get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence. It’s just so easy to give up.” -Octavia Butler
The world may be insane right now, but you must keep going.
Did you finally finish a rough draft of your first eBook? Complete 300 words today? Land a paying writing gig, even though it pays $20 per post?
Reflect on your past accomplishments. They may not be much, but they’re all signs of progress.
Why stop? Keep building the momentum.
The special ingredients to include with persistence are daily habits.
“Forget talent. If you have it, fine. Use it. If you don’t have it, it doesn’t matter. A habit is more dependable than inspiration, continued learning is more dependable than talent.” -Octavia Butler
Have you ever noticed construction workers building every day until they completed their site? You must establish the same drive to achieve your writing goals, no matter how long it will take.
If you’re one of the many writers stuck at home searching for new jobs, try these places for starters (and don’t forget to cold pitch).
- Flexjobs
- Freelance Writing
- Freelance Writing Gigs
- ProBlogger
- Remote.co
- Write Jobs
- Writers Weekly
- Writing Jobs Canada (Posts U.S. remote jobs too)
Good luck! 📝🍀💻
Liked this post? Read:
