Life Lessons—The Worst Mistake a Writer Can Make

by Reba J. Hoffman, Ph.D

The worst thing a writer can do is
compare their journey to another's.

I know what you’re thinking. Reba is going to talk about head hopping or lack of conflict in the story. Those definitely could derail your efforts of getting published, but they aren’t the worst mistake a writer can make.

Far and beyond writing craft, the most common malady that befalls an author is comparing their own journey to other authors. Your journey as a writer is absolutely unique. Not another single writer on the face of the planet will have the same experience you do.

You think I’m kidding? Pick five of your favorite authors or the top five New York Times best selling authors and place their journeys side by side. Each of them got to print different ways and at different times. They don’t all have the same agent and they all faced different challenges along the way.

When writers start out the journey together, it’s easy to use them as your barometer to measure your own success. My first real writers retreat was My Book Therapy’s very first Story Crafter’s Retreat. Out of those that attended that retreat:

·      Beth Vogt is a two time published fiction author (she already had a non-fiction book in print).

·      Lisa Jordan is a two time published author and winner of the Carol Award.

·      Pat Trainum now has agent representation and was a Genesis Contest Finalist.

·      Melissa Tagg went on to win the Frazier Award and is a contracted author.

·      Ginger Takamiya won the Frazier Award.

If I looked at that and compared them to what I’ve accomplished in the world of fiction since that October in 2009, I would sell my computers on Ebay and hang up my pen forever.

Right now, the worst thing I could do is compare myself to them to measure my success. I haven’t written a single fictional word in several years. That’s true enough but here are some things I did accomplish:

·      Wrote and published Dare to Dream, A Writer’s Journal

·      Started Magellan Life Coaching, dedicated to helping others find their true north

·      Delivered the Keynote address at over 50 functions

·      Became Member Care Coach for Susan May Warren’s My Book Therapy

·      Ghostwrote 3 books for colleges that published over 40,000 copies

·      Trained for and ran 2 half-marathons

And those are the things I can think of at the moment. How tragic—and utterly paralyzing—it would be to compare myself to these other accomplished fiction-istas that I started out with. It would equally be as heartbreaking for you to do that.

It’s the worst mistake a writer can make. Just DON’T do it. Instead, fall in love with your own journey and embrace it. Enjoy the trip. You’ll be glad you did.

Have you compared yourself to other writers? How did that work out? Share it here.

Reba J. Hoffman is the founder and president of Magellan Life Coaching (www.magellanlifecoaching.com). She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Counseling and is a natural encourager. She serves as Member Care Coach for My Book Therapy and is the author of Dare to Dream, A Writer’s Journal. You can connect with Reba through her motivational blog, Finding True North, or by email at reba@magellanlifecoaching.com. You can also follow her on Twitter at @RebaJHoffman.