“Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.”~ Robert Louis Stevenson
I have mixed feelings about writer’s groups and meetings. On the one hand, when writers get together, it is so refreshing. We all know the plight of the blank page. We all know how to suffer with nagging plots and difficult characters. And we all have dealt with fear, criticism, and the power of perseverance. Yet, on the other hand, we have also been beat up in the same manner in the same industry we’re all trying to break into. Writing is a competitive business. The “scary” statistic is that something like 10% of all writers will actually “make a career” of it. This is not something to share with someone bouncing with dreams and aspirations of greatness.
I think we tend to overshare the negative…or at least the circles I encounter do. Negative stories drive the nightly news. Fears and failures circle the water cooler at work. We are fixated on it as a culture. And yet, it is this over sharing that leads to abandoned dreams. 10%? Why should I bother? We need to share our courage. We need to share our adversity. I know “good” news doesn’t “sell,” but it would surely make this a better place. I need to be encouraged, not reminded the odds against me. That’s the only way to persevere.
Want more quotes? Follow me on Twitter.
