Elliot Kessler

There are a lot of books out there. Half a billion ebooks are available on Kindle, with more published every day. Everyone can write, and many do. However, it would be incredible if anyone could name even an eighth of those books.

Writing is a serious business. There is a lot of competition, which means that it is vital for your book to stand out amongst the crowd. Yet, writers stick to making bland, unoriginal stories. If it is so important to stand out among the millions of other books out in the world, why do most people write the same stories that everyone else writes?

The answer is simple. Most writers are scared of failure.

Getting Personal

Creating art is scary. True art is an extension of the artist. Showing the world your true self takes a lot of guts, and it is not for everyone.

Books are no exception. The rule of writing what you know makes sure that writers as are as authentic as painters, poets and singers. Stories should communicate the author’s experiences as paintings show the world through a painter’s perspective.

When we share our experiences and perspectives with the world, we are terrified of getting rejected not because we are afraid people will reject our stories, but because we are afraid people will reject us. Most people are afraid to be alone, but it is a risk that we must take.

Frankly, the fear of rejection is unjustified. No matter what we put out there, someone will inevitably enjoy it, and if one person enjoys your work, then it will all have been worth it.

“Our Greatest Teacher, Failure Is.”

This quote was easily the greatest part of “The Last Jedi” (and the only good part) because it is very true and a lesson that we must learn if we are to not only be successful in life, but also to grow as human beings. Many people see failure as a step back on the road to success, when it is actually a step forward. The more we fail, the more mistakes we have to learn from, and the more we learn, the wiser and more experienced we become.

The only way to master any craft is through failure. We will fail. We must fail. It is inevitable. It is what we do with that failure that determines whether or not we are successful. We can either allow failure to break us down, or we can use failure to build ourselves up. That decision is the only barrier between yourself and greatness.

Thanks for reading! Have a fantastic day.