So let me tell you what I know now that I didn’t know seven years and 256 articles ago.
Here’s a lesson learned for every year in the business.
- I know that every word you write makes you better, even if it doesn’t feel like that when you’re doing it.
- I know that when you get down to it, it’s not about how good you are, but how committed you are.
- I know that any success that comes in this career is never a result of just your own work. It is, in part, due to the editors who believe in your stories, the editors who clean up your work, the friends who share their expertise and their contacts, the fiance who makes copies of each of your articles, the mother who reads everything you write, and the father who shares his knowledge of politics generously and gives you ideas.
- I know that no one will respect or value your work unless you first learn to respect and value your work.
- I know that others will change their attitudes towards you as you succeed or fail, but it’s important that you don’t change your attitude towards yourself.
- I know that 800 imperfect words submitted are always better than 1,000 perfect words that never made it to the page.
- I know that it’s hard not to judge yourself as you go, but if you manage to, you’ll have a better chance of getting the dang thing written.