You Don’t Need to Get Lucky, You Need to Get Serious
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” — Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Roman philosopher
Like many aspiring creatives, I’ve romanticized success.
For years, I thought surely my future as a writer was just one short story, one viral article, or one job application away. My work would get seen by the right person and they would say, “Aha! Here is the writer we’ve been looking for!” Naturally, a long career of critical acclaim and financial stability would ensue, all from that one lucky break.
But that’s not what happened. (Shocking, I know.) What’s worse though is how this Hollywood-style daydream prevented me from growing as a writer for years. After all, the onus of my life’s success was just as much on someone else as it was me, right? I wrote, sure, but it was intermittent and in rare and feverish moments when I “felt like it.” During those times, I would manically pour my ideas and overflowing inspirations into my word processor, trying desperately to create that magical piece of work that would launch me into the next phase of my life — that of a successful writer.
Looking back, I’m not surprised that I experienced little growth as a writer in those years. However, at the time I was completely…
