Failing to Succeed

Like most pursuits, writers must take the bad with the good. While the ultimate goal is good writing, there needs to be room for some bad writing along the way. A mistake some writers make is trying to be perfect. These writers may say: "If I can't write well, I don't want to write at all." The problem with this view is that it's not realistic. Even the most accomplished writers occasionally write badly. It's part of the writing process and it's part of being human. The quest for perfection often leads to paralysis. To achieve perfection is such a daunting goal that writers can become frozen in the face of such overwhelming odds and end up writing nothing at all. To not allow yourself to write badly or make mistakes is to deny yourself the opportunity to experiment and grow as a writer. The paradox is that, in order to write well, you must give yourself permission to write badly. If you never write anything because it might turn out badly, you won't have anything to work on, to refine, to learn from. All you will have is your fear. At least having some bad writing to your credit is better than having no writing to your credit at all. It is through the failures and mistakes of our writing that we're able to learn and develop as writers and ultimately experience success. It is not possible to have writing success without first experiencing many failures. Welcome your failures, learn from them, and pave your way to well-earned writing success.