Personal upheavals and unexpected challenges can seem hell-bent on stealing away precious, quiet moments we so desperately crave for our writing.

Every writer knows all too well the battle to keep our stories alive when everything else is trying to drown them out.

Do we let the chaos of our lives silence our stories, or do we harness these challenges as fuel for our creativity?

That's the question we have to answer, day after day, sometimes hour by hour. And the answer often isn't easy. Sometimes we have no choice.

There is a delicate balance between relentless perseverance and the need to step back and breathe.

Treating your writing like a pro doesn't mean grinding yourself down.

We've all heard the fairy tales of overnight success with minimal effort (thanks for nothing, Tim Ferris), but let's get real – building a writing career that pays the bills is as demanding as any 9-5, if not more.

A while ago someone asked me what I thought the best book they could write in a month so they could make a million dollars.

Publishing is not for the faint-hearted.

It requires a commitment just as intense, if not more so, than any 9-5 job. And dreaming of writing replacing a full-time income without the willingness to put in full-time effort is just that, a dream.

Wishing for a full-time writing income without putting in the work is like waiting for a cruise ship at an airport gate – pointless.

The truth is, the journey to becoming a professional writer is paved with discipline, risks, and sacrifices, elements that many of wish to avoid.

Discipline, a dash of reality, and, above all, a stubborn streak of perseverance are your best friends on this wild ride.

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Keep going.

Jocelyn

Hello!
My name is Jocelyn.

Story warrior, book lover, day dreamer, gardener, and creative. I help serious writers roll up their sleeves, get their novel ready for publishing, and reach readers. When I’m not elbow-deep in the story trenches, I’m outside world-building in my garden and battling weeds with my three criminal mastermind cats.