How to get a Blackbelt in Writing - Part 13 - Commitment

  This has been one of those 'why the heck am I doing this weeks'. You know what I mean. When you doubt you can write, you doubt anyone gives a crap about what you write, you doubt whether it's all 'worth it', you wonder if you'll ever feel like a successful author (hint: probably not).
    Those moments are really about commitment. How committed are you, really, to achieving whatever goal you set yourself?
In martial arts training, a lack of commitment by the uke (partner) causes problems for the nage (person performing the technique). And visa versa. Most injuries happen when uke doesn't attack hard, or because nage doesn't throw with full intent.
    Sometimes nage panics and lets go too early in the throw, preventing uke from learning to fall correctly. Or uke lets go (or doesn't jump properly) out of fear of being injured, preventing nage from learning how to do the technique properly.
    And, in an actual attack, if the victim doesn't commit fully to fighting back - with the awareness they will have to both take and give damage until they win - they will most certainly lose.
    In writing, once you've decided you want to write that novel / get that publishing deal / get short stories into professionally paid magazines / etc, then it will take commitment to achieve that goal. You can't half-arse it and expect to reach your target.
    You have to start the novel AND finish it. Then get feedback AND apply it. Then get editors - AND develop a thick skin and accept your writing isn't perfect the first time (taking damage to your ego, possibly). Then spend the time finding agents or publishers or learning how to self-publish AND handle rejections and bad reviews you might get.
    At any step, you can quit, of course. 
    But if you really want to achieve your writing goals, you have to accept that you will take a certain amount of mental and emotional damage along the way. And you have to commit to the process of getting better at everything, following all the steps, and hanging on for dear life until you reach your goal.
  If you're going to jump into this hobby / career, then jump wholeheartedly, with full commitment to being the best you can in order to achieve whatever goal you've set yourself.

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