Stamina

In the daily meditation passage I read today in WALING ON ALLIGATORS: A BOOK OF MEDITATIONS FOR WRITERS, Susan Shaughnessy suggests that "stamina is the difference between writers and dabblers." She discusses how athletes and musicians have innate gifts but require stamina to be successful. She makes such a valid point in suggesting that "the need for work and stamina is accepted in almost every pursuit except writing." We, as writers, must take our innate talents, couple them with good, old fashioned effort and stamina to be a "real writer" if that is the path that we chose--or for many of us (I know for myself), the path that chooses us. Shaughnessy closes with these words..."I will accept the need to write steadily, even through difficult stretches. I am in training for the work I want to do."

Let's train like athletes, practice like musicians and produce the words the world wants to read.