O is for Obstinant

If I hear one more blog, post or comment about luck I may scream.

Alert people,  making a living at writing isn't the result of winning the lotttery.

Sure, luck has a factor in some instances, right time, right place, right environment.  And yes, sometimes the writing is less than the hype but usually no.  Writing is a skill and a talent.  More importantly it is a skill  that needs time to be developed, a lot of time.  Writing isn't a home run stratosphere event.  It's like any other trade, a talent proceeds skill, followed by obstinance and then ureka, or at least we hope - success!

Confused?  I don't think so, it's fairly simple but it's not what I've been reading too much of lately.

Luck is what I've been hearing.  Maybe it's because the two worlds have converged, that of the stratosphere star and that of the earning writer.  One is more often than not short-lived and the result of luck and the other, well there's talent and sweat and longevity.  Pretty clear lines that we're all getting confused right now as the publishing arena proceeds to flip on its head.

Luck.

Its not a valid way to go through a career never mind a life.  Luck is the office drone standing in the lotto line week after week. 

Are we saying writing is the same?

Here is how I see it.  Yes, there is luck, the kind that sky rockets books to the number one best selling issue to glow in the suns rays for a day, two, a week or longer.  But they're not the norm,  they're not the Nora Roberts, the Stephen Kings.

Success takes many skills; not just one, or two.  Yes, luck is a factor but if you don't have talent your readership won't follow you far.  And if you're not
obstinate, talent isn't going to get you far.  These days persistence read (be obstinate) is what takes talent all the way.

Talent - that's in the "blogging the alphabet world T and talent falls on Wednesday.  Stop by but in the meantime let me know, is it just a matter of luck or is writing not for everyone?

Without talent the great books wouldn't survive through the years that they have.  Luck is for the lottery, a short-termed bitch that carries you only so far.  Hopefully when she picks you up she's holding that one time lottery ticket because she's not coming back again.

A bit of luck combined with talent and a healthy dose of obstinance, now we're getting somewhere.

To obstinance, talent and a dollop of luck

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
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