A Formula for Writing Success

A Formula for Writing Success

By Karen Asp/ ©Writer’s Digest

Incorporate courage, passion, patience, persistence 1 and talent in your writing, and you will be a success

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Forget about buying the newest laptop or slickest software. If you want to be a successful writer, you only need this simple formula: C3PT. It’s what I’ve found to be the element of success in my own career as a writer. So what does C3PT stand for? Courage, passion, patience, persistence and talent.

Courage

If you don’t have the courage to fail, your words will be few. But how do you get courage? By writing. That doesn’t mean writing won’t ever be scary, but practice will help you be less fearful, especially if you can draw on past successes.

I still get nervous when writing. I stare at the computer screen. I type a few words and immediately hit delete. I wonder what I’ve gotten myself into and if I can really pull it off. Then I open a drawer in my desk that’s filled with my clips from other magazines, and begin to think I really can do it.

If you don’t have published writings, put anything that inspires you near your writing station: favorite books, inspiring quotes or the first story you ever wrote — even if it was when you were eight. Then take courage, and write.

Passion

Passion is essential for success in any endeavor, but it’s vital in writing. Sometimes it’s the only thing that keeps you going, especially when your inner critic starts hollering or rejections 2 pile up.

As a writer, you’ll inevitably 3 face doubts. But if you love what you’re doing, you’ll make it through the lows and squelch 4 that negative self-talk.

If passion is lacking from your writing, evaluate your writing to figure out what’s missing. What kind of writing do you want to do? What subjects interest you? Can you find a niche 5 and specialize in a subject you love?

Patience

Like weight loss, success in writing doesn’t happen overnight; it is measured over years of hard work. Every time you write, you move one step closer to your goal, whether that’s publishing a novel or breaking into a magazine.

In this business, there are no wasted words, only wasted time. Devote the time. Commit to the process. Consider yourself a writer-in-waiting, and enjoy the journey.

Vocabulary Focus

slick (adj) [slik] performing skillfully and effectively, without problems or effort

get oneself into (idiom) to become involved in an activity, especially a difficult or unwanted one

pull off (idiom) to succeed in doing something difficult or unexpected

break into (idiom) to enter or become accepted in a business or profession

写作成功的公式

许美鸾 译

勇气、热情、耐心、毅力加上天分，你就能在写作上成功

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拋开要买最新的笔记本计算机或最灵巧的软件的念头吧，如果你要成为成功的作家，只需这个简单的公式：C3PT。这是我在自己的写作生涯里发现的成功要素。那么C3PT代表什么呢？就是勇气、热情、耐心、毅力和天分。

勇气

如果你没有失败的勇气，就写不出几行字。但勇气从哪来呢？从写作而来。这并不是说写作从此不令人害怕，但练习会让你不那么恐惧，尤其若你可以依赖过去的成功经验的话。

我现在写作时还是会紧张。眼睛瞪着计算机屏幕，打几个字又立刻删除，想不通我让自己陷入什么境况，也怀疑到底能不能完成写作。接着，我打开书桌抽屉，里面摆满我在其它杂志刊出的文章剪报，然后我开始认为自己真的可以做到。

如果你没有已出版的作品，在你写作工作台附近放些能启发你的东西：喜爱的书、励志小语或你写的第一篇故事——即使是你8岁时写的也没关系。然后，鼓起勇气开始写。

热情

在努力做每件事时，热情是走向成功的必备要素，而它在写作上更是不可或缺。有时候这是唯一让你继续写下去的原因，尤其当你的内在批判者开始大吼大叫，或一再被出版商退稿时。

身为作家，不可避免地会有自我怀疑的时候，但如果你热爱你所做的事，就能走过低潮，并打消负面的自我评论。

如果你的写作少了一份热情，你就得评估你的写作，了解哪里有不足。你想从事哪方面的写作？你对哪种主题有兴趣？你能否找到适合自己的位置，专攻于喜爱的主题？

耐心

写作成功就像减肥一样，不会在一夜之间发生，要好几年的努力才见效。你每一次写作，就是向目标迈进一步，不论目标是出版一本小说，还是跻身一本杂志的作者群。

在这个行业，没有白费的字，只有不曾好好利用的时间。付出时间，投入这个过程，把你自己当成是即将成功的作家，并享受这趟旅程。