Always Remember That You Almost Certainly Have Average Writing Talent at Best

Don't feel bad, so do the vast majority of other writers. The fact that most people fall into a given category is what makes it an average. Plenty of average, and even a few downright bad writers have had long, successful, and personally satisfying careers in writing. Likewise plenty of superstar talents get discouraged and quit before ever getting the chance to make a try at a career in writing. In writing, like with most things in life, luck, determination, and hard work (in that order with hard work falling into a far, far distant third) play much larger roles than talent when it comes to success. Don’t ever forget that personal satisfaction, joy, and happiness in writing all come completely from within, and are freely available for any writer, even those who have no professional success to speak of. Of course, that is easy for me to say and none of those things pay for little Johnnie's pair of dress pants needed for his first day at Catholic school. It helps to always remember the four laws of talent and success.

1. No matter how hard you work, there is always someone with more talent, working nowhere near as hard for the same outcome.

2. No matter how talented you are at something, there is always someone more talented.

3. No matter how hard you work at something, there is always someone working harder.

4. There will always be more people more talented/working harder then you at something then people less talented/not working as hard as you at something. Fortunately there is much more to life/success then talent and hard work. Cultivate those other things and 1–3 will matter less and less

What is Good Writing?

Is is possible to know what 'good writing' is? Some argue that it is not possible but that is not exactly precisely true. We don't know what 'good' is but we know what writing is. You could say we are at least halfway acquainted with good writing since we can at least recognize writing vs. any other form of communication. The issue is the definition of good which has been debated since just shortly after the dawn of consciousness in man. Great, and not so great, philosophers from antiquity to today have opined on the question of what is good or the good. Ironically enough they have done so most often in the form of writing. In my opinion not very much of the writing about 'good' is any good. It is not good writing. Good writing about what is good is hard to find. How could I say that if I did not know what good writing is, at least for myself. Good writing for me is what I say is good writing and bad writing is what I say is bad writing. What I think is good, many others might view as bad, but what I view as bad no others would view as good, unless they are bad at differentiating between what is good and what is bad. If they are bad at that, they are likely bad at many things, including writing. Probably, they are the type of people that would write a story featuring the endangered bird, the Macaw. Or, even worse, the type of people that would run a website that sponsors a contest which awards a prize for a story featuring the Macaw. You know, the kind of people that would think a word count minimum for stories on a web based publishing platform in 2021 is a good idea. Idiots, I guess most people would call them. Of course, I would not go that far. Misguided, irrational, insane perhaps, but not idiots. In any event, what was I talking about again? Oh yes, good writing. Hmmmm. See above for an example of the opposite of that and they're you go. You are welcome.

Should you write about what people want to read?

Anybody can write what their readers want to read. It takes true talent to make your readers want to read what you want to write, no matter the topic. It has nothing to do with being authentic or inauthentic and everything to do with being interesting and skilled and talented. Moreover there is no such thing as a ‘wrong’ reader or a ‘right’ reader there are only those who want to read what you write, those who do not, and those with no opinion one way or the other. Leave the judging to the professionals, and simply write. There will always be assholes among your biggest fans and most loud mouthed detractors. The job of a writer is not to be an asshole screener, it is to be a writer. Finally that self conscious, insecure voice in your head with all those worries is you. You are the only person in your head. You will never escape your head so you better figure out how to deal with yourself. I find that writing helps with that. The irony is thick, writing to help relieve the stress caused by writing and thinking about writing. My God it is an endless circle, writing all the way down. Too bad I suck at it so bad. Eureka!