If you call yourself a writer, then write.

As a writer, as well as in life, I practice the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen, continual improvement by taking small steps.

Adhering to this principle, I don’t intentionally set out trying to write a book manuscript. I simply write a page here and there, sometimes just a paragraph, and sometimes only a sentence or a phrase. But I attempt to do that daily, and I find the small steps add up to a greater journey. True, I often have to sift through some awful pieces of prose and crappy poetic pieces to find something that I have the nerve to send out to publishers. But that is part of the greater journey that I just mentioned.

It’s about continuous progress as a writer, even when I fall short of capturing everything my mind was trying to express. No matter what happens, good or bad, I just keep writing.

That is the point. If you call yourself a writer, then write – don’t just talk about writing, do it. Don’t get all wrapped up in what magazine rejected your story, what contest snubbed your poem, or who booed you off the stage at a local poetry slam. Within each failure is a success, because you are busy doing while other people are reacting. Take from their reaction, grow, and then try again.