When it comes to writing, most writers spend a great deal of time talking about how important it is to them. It’s their calling. They can’t survive without the written word.

Yet, we’re plagued with an impatience to see our writing improve faster, to gain recognition for our work, and to get our words in print. Later is never soon enough.

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Lesson 1: It takes time to learn to write well

Smart people who read a lot, get degrees, can string sentences together, and should be able to get published…right?  Those qualities are helpful, but they are no substitute for plain hard work and patience. Very few writers have succeeded in getting published without years of practice behind them.

Lesson 2: It takes time for your writing to get noticed

Even if you’re a great writer, getting to a point where other people (especially editors and agents) know how great you are can take a lot of time.

Building a portfolio of writing credits often takes a lot of time. Start small and work your way up, which might mean writing for years before your passion earns you a dime.

Lesson 3: It takes time to build a writing career

One published book does not make a writing career .

It takes:

  • years of hard work,
  • promoting your book,
  • writing more books,
  • speaking at conferences and/or teach writing courses,
  • building a website and/or blog, and
  • continuing to improve your writing.

If you just want to see your name on a book cover, self-publishing is easily accomplished and more common. But if you want a long-term professional writing career, you’ll need patience and endurance to build it.

Patience is learned

When I talk about writers and impatience, I’m talking from a long history of personal experience.

It has taken my life experiences and patience to develop my talent.

Patience makes a difference. It makes everyone a better writer.

Patience takes strength

Novelist Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton said it best:

Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is active; it is concentrated strength.

Next time you feel tempted to complain about how slowly things are progressing in your writing life, consider that piece of wisdom. Being patient does not mean sitting and waiting.

While you wait you can be writing more, journaling, reading, practicing, failing, discovering what you can do better, and trying again.

“Linda has published sixteen books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish.”