Small Acts of Courage

Ways to Measure Success

I was reminded this week of just how daunting and unfriendly the world of writing can be, and how difficult that makes life for new writers, especially those who lack confidence, which was me when I started out and often still is.

A lovely poet I know told me of an event she attended with other poets, some better known than her, though hardly more successful. She described how alone and ill at ease she felt. How others seemed unwilling to chat to her, avoided her even, huddling together in their knots and cliques, leaving her standing alone in the middle of the room, feeling awkward. ( And in case you’re wondering, she is one of the least paranoid people I know) ‘They think they’re gods and goddesses and that’s how they behave,’ she said. I’ve seen it myself, enough to know the truth of her experience. A few weeks before I tracked a social media post, from someone I didn’t know, who said she was giving up on poetry because she felt so unwelcome in the poetry world!

It saddens me that writers behave like this. Prose writers also have their cliques, though the best of the them, like the best of poets, are welcoming and do not elevate themselves or ignore others. I suspect, over and above natural competition and rivalries, this behaviour has much to do with slim pickings. Poetry doesn’t pay. Only a few can earn their living in the world of prose. Career writers are fighting for acknowledgement, for a so- called ‘breakout book.’ It’s hard to win, making enough to live on is almost impossible. Despite literary inclinations authors are tempted into commercial fiction markets and jealousy is rife as writers are pitted against each other, drawn into a web of self-promotion, dancing to the tune of the gatekeepers- agents, publishers, people, and organisations with influence. Resilience is the new by-word. We are told to grow thick, impenetrable skins, a carapace to protect against the endless waiting game that is submission, the rejections, the cliques, the self-doubt. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking resilience, but this all seems a little cruel to me, and besides writers need thin, osmotic skins through which to absorb the world

I’m fortunate in having removed myself from all of this, and having reconciled with my lack of commercial success and recognition particularly in the region, (any acknowledgement I’ve had has come from other UK cities, especially London). I’m fortunate also to know writers who will not entertain cliques, who write regardless of acknowledgement, and who mentor and support other writers making their first small steps in this world.

Taking those first steps, beginning writing is one of the hardest things we do as writers. Daring to begin is a success in itself and should be celebrated and embraced. The bravest thing a writer does is to put her work out into the world, read it aloud to a group, publish it on social media, share it in whatever way she can. Once our words are read we are vulnerable in the extreme. We open ourselves up to criticism–sometimes helpful but other times destructive–believe me there will always be people waiting to tell you what they don’t like about your writing or your book and where you’ve gone wrong

With this in mind, for all new, uncertain, beginning writers out there, I found myself revisiting an old blog post from some years ago, much viewed, which I offer you in an updated version here:

Small Acts of Courage

Ways to Measure Success

The ways to measure success are infinite. They are not dependent on being published or recognised. Here are thirteen to be going on with. I consider every one of these a mark of success in the writer’s journey and most fall into the category of what my writing buddy Wendy Robertson would call small acts of courage.

Buying your first notebook, writing your first words, feeling the fear and doing it anyway.

Joining a writing group.

Reading aloud for the first time – this is truly scary, the first time I did it I could barely breathe.

Completing a fragment, a poem, a story, a set of stories, a novel!

Seeing your words in print anywhere - social media offers lots of opportunities now for posting short pieces

Submitting a story/poem to a magazine, print or online

Entering a writing competition. Creative Ink have a comprehensive list

Making a gift of a piece of your writing to a friend or family member

Signing up for a course, especially if it is outside your comfort zone.

Identifying time to write and marking it in your diary.

Reading as a writer, learning from the best

Observing the world in your notebook, taking it with you out into the world around you, countryside, or city… I love nothing better than eavesdropping and writing in a cafe.

Finally - never, never underestimate what you do as a writer. As writers we put ourselves out there time and time again, each time with the risk of being knocked down. It takes courage.

If we had to say what writing is, we would have to define it essentially as an act of courage ~ Cynthia Ozick

On a personal note, this week I’ve looked after this little one a fair bit! Also had a great writing week, connecting with my writing buddy, as well as others writers I admire and value, and who support each other. I’ve made a decision to step outside my writing comfort zone and embark on a small collaborative project, more of which in the future. I’ve also signed up for what might loosely be called a bespoke course with ten sessions of feedback. What with a book coming out soon, I’m going to be very busy…

Thanks for reading - Avril x