A quote from "On Writing Well"
A little over a week ago I borrowed "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser from the library; at first I wasn't sure if it was a book "for me" because I couldn't remember when or why I placed a hold on it in the first place.
I can confidently state that it is a book for me. Through the first two parts of the book I have become inspired and, I believe, have already improved my writing. But you can be the judge of that.
I will talk about it at length in the future, but for now I'll share this paragraph from page 78 (of the 30th anniversary edition):
WRITING IS NOT A CONTEST.
Every writer is starting from a different point and is bound for different destination. Yet many writers are paralyzed by the thought that they are competing with everybody else who is trying to write and presumably doing it better. This can often happen in a writing class. Inexperienced students are chilled to find themselves in the same class with students whose byline has appeared in the college newspaper. But writing for the college paper is no great credential; I've often found that the hares who write for the paper are overtaken by the tortoises who move studiously toward the goal of mastering the craft. The same fear hobbles freelance writers, who see the work other writers appearing in magazines while their own keeps returning in the mail Forget the competition and go at your own pace. Your only contest is with yourself.
I hope that this quote is helpful for any struggling writers that stumble across this short post.