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The Myth of the Overnight Success in Writing — Breaking Down the Illusion
Consistency, discipline, and strategy: The unseen journey of every successful writer
3 min readAug 5, 2023
Like the entrepreneurial world, the writing world is fraught with stories of overnight success.
Novels that top best-seller lists, articles that go viral, content that takes the internet by storm — it may all seem like it happened in the blink of an eye. But here’s the hard truth: these cases of instant success are rarely as “instant” as they appear.
They’re the result of consistent, dedicated effort applied to simple yet effective strategies over time.
It’s not glamorous or particularly exciting, but it’s real.
If this isn’t motivating, it should be. Why? Because it means that success in writing isn’t about luck or a single breakout piece. It’s about persistence. It’s about:
- Sticking to a consistent writing schedule, even when inspiration eludes you.
- Maintaining discipline in your efforts, even on days you’d rather do anything but write.
- Iterating on proven strategies, even when the progress seems infinitesimal.
