Key to Failure in Writing

Proud As A Peacock

I loved the Dixie Chicks. Their sound crossed the line between old-time country and the contemporary. The use of the fiddle, the guitar work, the entire package worked for these classically trained musicians. Perhaps success came too easy for them and handed them their key to failure.

They should have understood their genre. Country fans love the USA and conservative values (mixed too frequently with whiskey and guns...but I digress). Repeatedly, the group bashed the United States.

No public feud breeds good publicity. The Chicks constantly bashed their colleague Toby Keith.

They'd be caught in a transgression, chastised, then apologize and repeat their errors. They thought they were too good to fail. But it wasn't true.

Perhaps the same could have been said about  Lindsay Lohan, Oscar Pistorius, Lance Armstrong, Rehoboam, Absalom and Saul--to name a few.

Hans Holbein d. J. - The Arrogance of Rehoboam - WGA11598 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What they suffer from, destroys our chances of a successful writing career.  

How? So glad you asked. It could probably be summed up in the battle cry:

 "What do they know?"

Have you given place to any of the following?

• several critique partners say something doesn't work. You reply, "What do they know?"
• too much is marked up in your sample critique, so you discard the whole thing.
• an editor wants you to change something--maybe a scene a bit too graphic for your audience. If you refuse, you are asking, "What do you know? You, of course, have a better handle on it.
• you're so good, you have no need to spend good money on courses--and what do the free ones, like those offered at ACFW have to offer? You know the material as well as the teacher.
• which brings me to the next point--you tell the instructor what he/she is doing wrong--how much more successful your way is.
• since God gave you the story, any changes will ruin the message--maybe even bring down His wrath on the one who refuses to accept it.
• you refuse to enter contests and see what seasoned authors and editors have to say because one judge, one time, was harsher than necessary.

I hate to say this, but I'm a good one for publicizing my foibles, I've been guilty of much of this. Do you know of any I've missed? (Of course, not about me--but useful for the general writing population.)

The Bane of Arrogance

Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Arrogance. Yep, what none of us have. Take me for example: humble, honest and willing to grow. That is until I bombed ANOTHER writing contest.

As I judged the Carol Awards, I tried to offer constructive criticism. After all, if a writer (or anyone) wants to grow, she needs to see her weaknesses. But applied to me? My writing, is award-winning. Ask my mother.

It took me a week to look at the score sheets from the Novel Rocket contest. And what did I discover? Genuine weak spots, which once corrected took me a step closer to making my writing something people other than my daughter would read.

How can arrogance ruin you?

1. You don't see how your writing (or any other skill) can improve. And actually be read by someone other than your husband/wife/significant (read forced to love you) other.
2. Makes you unloveable. We've all met conceited people (no one like us), and to a person, they aggravate us and turn us off to their way of thinking.
3. Ruins your life. Truth is truth. And if we're not willing to face it, our flaws will only grow.
4. Ruins your life. (Yeah, I said that already). If you are arrogant, you will feel miserable when someone necessarily points out your weaknesses.

Eventually, I went through the critiques. And read the entire email. Turns out one entry was solidly good. I was told the judges believed it deserved more than a "too bad, so sad" email. The judges said they would see that book on the shelves.

As for my other work? All criticism was spot-on. I heeded the words...and some day, you will read that book, too.

Don't feel miserable--how can you shed arrogance?