The concept of patience is probably the very first thing an online writer needs to wrap his, or her, head around. It takes time to build a solid collection of articles; it takes time for each of those articles to 'mature' and find its groove; it takes time to see the money dribbling in. And it's incredibly difficult to remain motivated when your hard work seems to be getting nowhere fast.
For me, patience is a particular problem. I know, in the long run, writing articles on Wizzley could prove a lucrative and mostly hands-off source of income. But it isn't that at the moment, so it's difficult to remain focused.
My mind tends to wander and my time is spent on freelance gigs for which pay is very much in sight. I dip my toe back in the Wizzley pond whenever I can, partly because I know it's a worthwhile use of my time, but mostly because I enjoy writing here. But I'm aware that this split focus is why it'll take even longer for me to achieve the kind of success Jo is enjoying.
Perseverance goes hand in hand with patience: it's slogging through even when you don't seem to be achieving anything; it's maintaining the belief that, if you just stick at it, eventually you'll start to reap the rewards. This is tough when rewards don't seem to be on the horizon.
Most of us, me included, begin to lose heart if we don't start to see things going our way. One method of reawakening my own perseverance is to look to Jo's 'Tips and Tricks' articles, which always give me a good shot in the arm, and prove that, unlike poor Sisyphus, there are gains to be made in pushing the Wizzley boulder uphill.
And finally, passion is key. Having passion, not just for the act of writing, but also for the things you're writing about, is vital. Jo seems to have an endless stream of inspiration, which in itself impresses and intimidates me all at once!
Comments
You are so right about it not being a competition (thanks for the reminder) except with oneself, and Patience always!
She sure can turn them out! Amazing!
A whole new meaning to the Trinity...
Mum just asked, 'Are they still bigging you up on Wizzley?' Checked. *much blushing ensues* "Yep." Thanks again all.
As for the twin/triplet thing, I'm rumbled. Three in One me. ;)
Her ability to write on a range of subjects is amazing; and history takes much research.
Thanks Jo, Violette, Sherri and Mira for the comments. Dustytoes, I think you might be on to something!
My belief is that Jo is one of a set of identical twins or triplets who all work together into fooling us into believing that she is one person. It's the only plausible explanation. ;)
Love that photo :-). She IS a powerhouse. I, too, don't know how she does it. I just hope she will keep on doing it, because she inspires all of us to keep writing here, and also because she is one of the people whose articles I really enjoy reading. Great tribute! :-)
What a cute article and a wonderful tribute to an inspiration for us all.
@WiseFool I have a connection on another site called Platespinner. I think that says it all ;-) @Linda so you're the lady we need to thank for bringing us Jo? In that case, thank you! *hugs Linda*.@Frank, yes, Jo and Christian got me here too.@WiseFool I like to get more than one article out of any research, as Jo manages to as well. Makes me feel it's worth my while then. @Jo, no problem, looking forward to meeting you in August.