Motivational Minute #173: The Cure for Comparisonitis

Our fearless leader, Racquel Henry has returned with wise words to keep in mind all week long in Motivational Minute #173 on Writer’s Atelier TV!

Over on our Insta, we’re talking about recognizing that your writing journey will never look like anybody else’s journey. This is, in fact, the cure for comparisonitis: accepting that, then focusing on your unique gift for the written word.

As a writing coach, Racquel fields a lot of questions from writers about timelines—when an editor’s response should be expected, how long it takes to get an agent, and so many others. They all boil down to the same underlying question: When can I expect my success?

And the truth is, we never know when success will come. Sometimes a writer get lucky right away, and sometimes it takes a little longer for luck to find the writer. (One example: it took Racquel 92 queries and seven years to find her agent!)

Unfortunately, our luck is out of our control. The only thing we can control is our writing. We can choose to focus on studying the craft, releasing books, answering calls for submissions, and sending out query letters; we can choose not to focus on the things we can’t change and the author we follow who (seemingly) found fame and fortune overnight.

Make that choice. Keep your eyes on your own path, acknowledge how far you’ve come, and keep putting one word in front of the other.

Happy writing!

Like returning to our Motivational Minutes when you need a pick-me-up? Subscribe to our YouTube channel and ring the bell to receive a notification every time we upload!

If you want inspiration offline, have you heard that Racquel has written a mini book of affirmations for writers? It’s available in our shop, along with our new 90-Day Novel Planner and The Write Gym Workbook!

We’d love to have you involved in our online writing community! Thanks for everything!

Racquel Henry is a Trinidadian writer, editor, and writing coach with an MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is a part-time English Professor and owns Writer’s Atelier. Racquel is also the co-founder and Editor at Black Fox Literary Magazine and the Editor-in-Chief at Voyage YA. She is the author of Holiday on Park, Letter to Santa, and The Writer’s Atelier Little Book of Writing Affirmations. Her fiction, poetry, and nonfiction have appeared in various literary magazines and anthologies. When she’s not working, you can find her watching Hallmark Christmas movies.
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