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Lessons Learned From A Long Writing Career by Donald Turner
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Lessons Learned From A Long Writing Career |
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Education
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Being a writer is like going to graduate school. The lessons just keep on coming. Some are about how be a better writer and all that goes with the territory; others are about the subject matter; and many are about life. It is the lessons about life I consider the real treasures of my four decades in this business. At each stage of my career I have learned something of inestimable value. Here are twelve lessons I would like to share. 1. Success doesn't always come in one dramatic leap. Most of the time, it is incremental, one tiny step at a time. Then, one day you look up and think, "Wow, I made it!" 2. When you are out of your depth and don't even know what questions to ask, you can't go wrong with this one: What do I need to know? 3. Every job in life has an upside and a downside. If you love your work, that's the upside. If you hate your working conditions, that's the downside. Loving your work outweighs everything else. 4. There are two levels of communication: official, spoken messages and unofficial, real messages. Survival in most business settings depends on figuring out what's true as quickly as possible. 5. When a "perfect" opportunity comes along, if you have even one moment of doubt, no matter how fleeting or illusive, pay attention. That is your inner wisdom trying to tell you something. 6. Everything you do, no matter how inconsequential it may seem, is like a puzzle piece in a much bigger picture. The piece may not fit anywhere at first, but eventually the pattern will become clear. 7. Interpersonal skills boil down to a single question: What motivates people? If you can answer that question and give each person what he or she needs, you can get along with anyone. 8. Never underestimate the existence of just plain luck. Call it synchronicity or serendipity or coincidence; but the fact is, sometimes you have no idea why something amazing happens to you. 9. When it's time to take a big step in your life--write a book, change jobs, change careers--you'll know. Don't rationalize the impulse. Take Joseph Campbell's advice and "Follow your bliss." 10. Life transitions are confusing. Between endings and beginnings is a fallow space where nothing seems to be happening. Actually, it is a time of quiet creativity and renewal. Something new is in the works. 11. It is never too late to start over. Never. Whether life forces you to change or you consciously decide to recreate your life, you have all the material you need to write your new story. 12. Whoever coined the phrase pay it forward was a genius. If you have achieved anything in your life, someone helped you, guided you, mentored you. You can't pay that person back; you can only pass the gift along. writing jobs
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