LEARN IT. BELIEVE IN IT. DO IT. - Jessica Bell

Not long ago, I posted something on Facebook, totally unaware that it would garner such a huge response, not only from writers, but from all sorts of people who were aspiring to reach some sort of goal. It even resulted in the blog tour manager of Wow! Women on Writing referencing it in an article as being inspiring enough for her to forfeit attending her high school reunion (which she was very much looking forward to) and going to a writer’s conference instead. So, I thought I would share it with you folks at IWSG, too, as it seems to have helped quite the handful of people:

“About six years ago, I was lucky enough to have a family friend who was the step daughter of a very very big Publisher at a very very big publishing company. (I won't mention which, as I don't like calling people out.) This friend passed "String Bridge" onto this publisher to read. (Stupid idea. It was not in good shape then.) This Publisher told me that my book sounded like silly gossip two ladies would babble on about over a bottle of wine, and that I was kidding myself if I ever thought I would be an author. I was devastated, and thought that perhaps this was not my path after all. But I pressed on (after very much crying).

I now have a bestselling series of books which TEACH WRITING. A full-time job as an Editor for a publishing company. I run a successful and much-loved literary magazine, and have a growing career as an author.

I am not gloating. I am telling you that you can do anything you put your mind to if you want it bad enough. There is nothing ... NOTHING ... that should get in your way, even if you think you are lacking the talent. Talent isn't just a part of you that you are born with, it's something you can LEARN.

If you want something, LEARN IT. BELIEVE IN IT. DO IT.

Start getting what you want out of life now. Even if it means building with small blocks. Because one day, if you are dedicated, and love what you do, you will end up with the "house of your dreams."

I can confidently say, that this experience was where my road split into a fork. I could have turned left (into Giving Up Street), but instead I turned right (into Keeping On Street).

Has there been a moment in your life when you decided to turn right , despite being told to turn left? I’d love to hear your experiences.

Jessica Bell, a thirty-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, is the Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal and the director of the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca. She makes a living as a writer/editor for English Language Teaching Publishers worldwide, such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, MacMillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

Connect with Jessica online:

Website | Retreat & workshop | Blog | Vine Leaves Literary Journal | Facebook | Twitter

Sign up to Jessica’s newsletter and receive Book #1 of the Writing in a Nutshell Series, Show & Tell in a Nutshell, or Muted: A Short Story in Verse, for FREE.

IWSG Post Day and Upcoming Guests with Awesome Writing Tips

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

Our awesome co-hosts for today are Krista McLaughlin, Kim Van Sickler, Heather Gardner, and Hart Johnson! Be sure to pay them a visit and thank them for helping today.

This site continues to expand with more great links and guests.

We have some amazing guests lined up for the next three months:

Martina Boone from Adventures in YA Publishing will be here on July 16. She’s an agented writer and her first book, Compulsion, comes out this October from Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse. She will be sharing tips on what to do pre-book deal.

Angela Ackerman from Writers Helping Writers will be here on August 20. Angela and Becca Puglisi are authors of The Emotion Thesaurus, The Positive Trait Thesaurus, and The Negative Trait Thesaurus, and they run an amazing site for writers.

Jessica Bell will visit on September 17. Jessica is a musician and writer, author of countless books, including her Nutshell series for writers. She also heads up the Vine Leaves Literary Journal and Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop.

Any rocking superstars you’d like to see?