October 14, 2011

As a writer, don’t ever under-estimate the power of self-discipline. Talent, passion, and discipline are needed–but the greatest of these is discipline.

Best-selling author Elizabeth George speaks to this point on the first day she faces her students in her creative writing classes. Study this quote from her book, Write Away–and read through to the zinger at the end.

“You will be published if you possess three qualities–talent, passion, and discipline.

You will probably be published if you possess two of the three qualities in either combination–either talent and discipline, or passion and discipline.

You will likely be published if you possess neither talent nor passion, but still have discipline. Just go the bookstore and pick up a few ‘notable’ titles and you’ll see what I mean.

But if all you possess is talent or passion, if all you possess is talent and passion, you will not be published. The likelihood is you will never be published. And if by some miracle you are published, it will probably never happen again.”

Be Encouraged!

This is great news for all writers, I believe. We worry sometimes that we don’t have enough talent, that we have nothing original to say, that our voices won’t attract today’s readers. But as Ms. George says above–and after writing and teaching for thirty years, I totally agree–discipline is what will make you or break you as a writer.

Why is this good news? Because self-discipline can be mastered, bit by bit, day by day, until it’s a habit. Talent is a gift over which we have no control, and passion comes and goes with our feelings and circumstances. But your necessary ingredient to success–discipline–can belong to anyone.

Do whatever you have to do to develop the writing habit. Let that be your focus, and see if the writing–and publishing–doesn’t take care of itself!

9 Comments »

1. 

   Yes, the dreaded D-word; discipline. But it’s so true. I need to put in my hour still …

   Comment by Vijaya — October 14, 2011 @ 9:55 am

2. 

   Vijaya, we certainly DO dread that word! And yet…the only real freedom lies with developing it. It’s funny how discipline feels so constricting, and yet it actually frees us to do things and be things we really want! We are a contrary bunch of humans.

   Comment by Kristi Holl — October 14, 2011 @ 11:15 am

3. 

   I absolutely agree with you about the importance of self-discipline but I often wonder why self-discipline comes so much more easily for some people than for others. The naturally self-disciplined can’t understand why the rest of us struggle so hard to learn that quality. Although I have learned a lot about being disciplined, apparently it will be a life-long process for me.

   Bonnie

   Comment by Bonnie Hinman — October 14, 2011 @ 12:11 pm

4. 

   Bonnie, I’m guessing that some of it is personality type. I know that with my choleric personality, I am more disciplined by nature than my phlegmatic husband. But it has its down side too–we Type A’s tend toward burn-out and drivenness and high-stress diseases. As in anything, it’s finding the necessary balance that is the key. (My husband can’t understand how it can be difficult to just relax, but that’s the hardest thing for me to do.) We’re all so different!

   Comment by Kristi Holl — October 14, 2011 @ 4:18 pm

5. 

   Kristi — the motto for the Garth Fagan dancers is: Discipline is Freedom.

   I did put in my hour and I feel so much better I am simply a less crabby person when I write. It makes me happy, so I still don’t know why I don’t do it first thing in the morning. I’m trying hard to change some habits.

   Comment by Vijaya — October 14, 2011 @ 8:42 pm

6. 

   Vijaya, I’m a much happier person when I write too–it makes you wonder just exactly what goes on in our brain chemistry to produce that when we write, doesn’t it?

   Comment by Kristi Holl — October 15, 2011 @ 3:06 pm

7. 

   Hi, I agree the D-word if a tough one but doable. I enjoy writing and it makes me happy to do it, whether just some notes from the day or what my son has been getting into, thing is these bits of writing while making me happy don’t move me forward. I’m still working on a class assignment but seem to have hit a wall. More D-word to stop procrastinating and just think of ways around the wall, I’ve enjoyed the story I’m crafting and am not sure why this wall has appeared. I do know that if I let the wall remain then my story won’t be completed, and I wont let that happen.

   Comment by Ally M — October 17, 2011 @ 9:31 am

8. 

   Disipline! Here is a startling thought that occurred to me – Discipline in writing? Yes – and discipline in other tasks as well. . (Hey – Saturn is my planet – when things get rough, discipine for me, conquers all!)
   BUT! It occurred to me that aside from what I am focusing on, how my PRIORITY of disciplines have ranged around over the years. And it occurred to me that it might be interesting indeed to find out what other areas, these days, have become a working daily/weekly M.O., as opposed to other times I was doing really well, and yet had slightly, (or vastly different) priorities. Consider it as one’s spatial relationship to the universe – sometimes you need to get focused tightly in an area, think you are doing fine, and then a thought like this pops up and you realize that your view has changed – maybe gotten shifted or smaller because you had adopted (or adapted!) yourself to handling a given situation that is no longer the case!

   Thanks for posting this! – I actually love these bright moments of Wha!?! (head jerk!) – Always contains great fodder!

   Comment by jen — October 18, 2011 @ 1:10 am

9. 

   Ally, maybe the post on writer’s block will help you. I listed a few links at the end for various types of blocks and what to do about them. Good luck!

   Jen, I love those paradigm shifts too. And what you said was so insightful. So often we adjust and adapt to something that should be short-term, but when the situation finally passes, we stay stuck in the “short-term” routine which threw our priorities out of whack for a while. We have to watch for those “temporary” things that become permanent by default!

   Comment by Kristi Holl — October 20, 2011 @ 4:46 pm

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