Success is a funny thing. It can mean something different for everyone.
Have you ever taken a step back and reflected on how you measure success? A lot of smart people have offered interesting takes on what it means to be successful.
Winston Churchill said, “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
I like this take because it feels similar to my experience. I’ve had a lot of swings and a lot of misses, and yet I keep going because I know one of the main ingredients to success in a creative field is persistence.
Henry David Thoreau said, “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”
This take is impossible to argue with when it comes to writing. If you’re working on a project, keeping busy writing, and remaining disciplined, then the only path is toward success.
Whether you are successful or not really depends on how you define success, and THAT comes down to the individual.
For me, I can look back and see that I’ve written three books, two of which have been published — Naughty Week and Lucky Day.
I’ve written on two television series (Brothers & Sisters and Mixology) and worked on a handful of others, I’ve completed a dozen pilot scripts and more than a dozen screenplays.
I’ve sold pilots and wrote a musical that ran in Los Angeles for two years.
So am I successful as a writer?
Sure, I guess I’ve put together a pretty solid career, but am I earning a living as a writer right now?
NOPE.
My paycheck comes from a whole other line of work, which I am truly grateful for. I enjoy the work, and it helps me learn and execute online marketing strategies, which I can apply to book marketing.
But I won’t be moving to an island to spend my days writing full-time any time soon.