Lightning Happens...Sometimes

Quote for the Week

Raymond Carver in his introduction to The Best American Short Stories of 1986 wrote: Once in a while lightning strikes, and occasionally, it strikes early in the writer's career, sometimes it comes later, after years of work...it may hit the writer who couldn't, not in one's wildest imaginings, make anyone's list of top-ten possibilities; it happens sometimes - the dark horse.

It happens, lightning.

Or it doesn't.

Naturally, it's more fun when it does happen.

But it will never, never happen to those who don't work hard at it and who don't consider the act of writing as very nearly the most important thing in their lives.

Right up there next to....

Breath.

And food.

And shelter.

And love.

And God.

Takeaway Truth

Don't waste time wondering why lightning struck for your friend but not you. Or wishing lightning had hit you instead of someone you consider less-talented. Besides sounding like sour grapes, it's an energy suck. You can't predict the vagaries of fate any more than you can predict a lightning strike.

Spend your time learning your craft. More writers have become successful because they worked at their craft than because they got lucky.