Ruth E. Walker.

We all want success as writers. But what each of us views as “success” will likely differ. Success for one could be simply finding the time to write; for another, it could be seeing their words in print; for someone else, success could be when the awards and accolades start to arrive.

Take two minutes to view this video of Kevin Spacey, multi-award-winning actor, as he speaks about success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mdW_ihN830

When you are done being inspired by this artist’s statement on what success means to him, consider what success means to you. Make a list of all the positives and negatives related to “success” from your perspective.

Now, work with “success” from the standpoint of what you are writing, or plan to write. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Draft an essay on success.
• Make a positive and negative ‘success list’ for your character(s); then write a scene containing one positive and negative success outcome
• Brainstorm “success” for as many meanings and ideas that come to you about that particular word; craft a poem or short scene using at least three of your ‘brainstorms’

When you are done, if you still crave more Inspiration, try all of the above with one change. Use the word “failure” as your starting point.

But know this — the word ‘failure’ is just a word. And anyone who continues to seek inspiration and ideas to challenge their writer’s mind is no failure: your success can be measured simply through your desire to explore.