The Power of Determination

Can you will yourself to be published? Over the years Ive come to believe that you can. Let me relate a story.

            When I first started teaching writing I ran into a paradox.  I had an adult student whose writing was terrible. I was glad when the class ended. Next year however she said to me "Im going to sell this year if its the last thing I do." My thought was lady it will be the last thing. This person as far as I was concerned was one of the worlds worst writers. Her sentences rambled so much that I had trouble following her.

            At home she and her husband had closed a passageway between their kitchen and garage. She wrote an article on this remodeling project and mailed it out. Within four weeks she received a check from a handyman type magazine. Next she queried a prominent home magazine about remodeling the living room. They wanted the article and sent a photographer to take pictures.  During the year she received checks from a number of other magazines for backyard projects. She also sold a book on Simple Backyard Projects and had several others in the works.

            This opened my eyes to the power of determination and over the years I have seen this operate effectively for a number of my students and clients. My rule is if you have a good project and are determined; know that you are going to sell it somewhere. It certainly works for me.