Home
>
Article Writing
>
Ambition versus Dedication

Ambition versus Dedication

All writers aspire to recognition, but are we dedicated? Ambition is simply the drive or strong desire for something. It is the enthusiastic wanting, that yearning felt in every pore, every cell in our bodies toward a specific aim. Sounds a lot like an addiction, doesn't it? That's because it is. We become addicted to our fantasy of what it's like to live as a working, paid writer. That fantasy is great, it's wonderful. Keep it. Don't let it take the place of dedication.

Dedication, on the other hand, according to Dictionary.com, is defined as "selfless devotion". I was reading a book entitled "78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published & 14 Reasons Why it Just Might" by Pat Walsh. In the introduction, he talks about the difference between ambition and dedication and writes: "Most people who write a book have ambition, which differs from dedication. With ambition, the goal is the key element. With dedication, the process is the prize."

He's right. If you are selflessly devoted to your writing, the end result should be the act of creation, the act of manifesting, the act of communicating a version of your story that is better than your greatest possible version. If you aspire to greatness, then fantasy is no longer good enough. How dedicated are you to your craft, regardless of your desire for publication and fame?

(re)Dedicate yourself

Letting go (at least temporarily) of ambition and rededicating yourself to your craft is your first step toward achieving your goals. Sounds recursive, I know ? it's the same with that old adage: "just when you're not looking, you'll find Mr./Ms. right". Irritating? Yes. True? Also yes. Here are a few tips to get you on your way toward your newfound perseverance.

Join a writers group or start one yourself.

This will force you to write and to adhere to deadlines and witness other people meeting deadlines and achieving goals. It is positive peer pressure at its finest.

Take writing courses and seminars.

If you can afford it, sign up for that class or seminar you've been longing to take. Better yet, sign up for something that scares you to death, something you feel completely unqualified to take. You will experience the most growth from this class. Too expensive? There are lots of inexpensive, and even free, writing resources on the web, including my website http://www.lawritersgroup.com which is a free online writers group open to writers of all levels.

Write every day.

I know you've heard this so many times, it feels like a bad clich?, and makes you want to throw your computer out the window, but if you are dedicated to the process of writing, you should do it daily. Accept that your life will be a clich? and move forward.

Start living like a writer: Set Goals.

Make deadlines for yourself: "I'll have 30 pages done by a month from today". Make every effort to meet that deadline. Deadlines, like them or not, are part of the literary occupation. Accept it now, and start living that way, start living like a writer.

Read.

Reading in your genre is essential for any writer. Reading about writing and publishing and about story arcs is also helpful. For a list of recently published books for writers, go to http://www.lawritersgroup.com/Books.htm

Now go forth and write with dedication.

Nicole Criona is co-owner and creator of http://www.lawritersgroup.com, a worldwide online writers group open to writers of all levels, which mirrors her Los Angeles writers group. Nicole can be contacted at http://www.lawritersgroup.com.

recurring cleaning service Mundelein ..

In The News:

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Ambition versus Dedication

Article Writing