Normally I skip over magazine articles with titles like Ain’t No Mountain High Enough This time, while looking at the pretty pictures in Elle, I saw this one by Louisa Kamp and kept reading because the subtitle said: “Why do some people get ahead while others are perpetually stuck at the bottom?” I’ve wondered this myself. After all, it’s not hard to see how some authors have careers that take off with very little initial promotion (Shannon McKenna and JR Ward) and others don’t. Then there’s the question of why some people get published and others try and never get there. Frankly, I wanted to see if Ms. Kamp had any insight.

If you have the April ‘07 Elle, take a look at this article. It’s interesting. Ms. Kamp uses her experience today at 39 to look back to when she was 23 and an editorial assistant for The New Yorker. She calls on some of the other young writers who worked with her at TNY to get their ideas too. Basically, she tries to figure out where her ambition went and investigates the idea of ambition at the same time.

She references a professor Alex Stajkovic, PhD and his theory that “all human behavior” is defined by three factors: (1) skill; (2) the desire to achieve using that skill; and (3) the belief that you can achieve. His point is that to have ambition, you need the last two. He defines this as the “fire in the belly” idea.

I’m thinking there is a fourth that might be implied by the other three but needs to be stated: the willingness to sacrifice to achieve. I don’t think it’s just a matter of wanting it, having the skills to achieve it and believing. It’s also a matter of being willing to push yourself to uncomfortable levels to get there.

I remember having a conversation with a published author when I was still unpublished. She said: “If you’re good and you want it - really deep down want it and are willing to work to get it - you’ll get published. It might take some time, but you will.” This author and Dr. Stajkovic seems to be saying the same thing. From listening to aspiring authors talk, it seems to me many have the skill but not the drive. I’m not trying to be offensive. I’m just stating a fact. It’s the “I don’t have time” excuse. The reality is that you do if you want it. You make time. Of course, I’m not sure which is worse, lacking the drive or lacking the skill. Not having the drive is a waste of talent. Not having the skill is a much different problem. An awful one made worse by the fact that those who lack skill often don’t know it or refuse to believe it. Figuring out which group you’re in is the trick. Starting out, I remember worrying that I fell into the “lack of skill” category. Really, the skills were there. They just needed polishing…still do. I wanted it and believed but wasn’t working very hard at it. Once I made writing a priority, I sold. it took 18 months, but I sold.

If the article is right and ambitious people are never satisfied, that they always set new goals and never rest on their laurels, that could explain why some careers take off and others bump along. Still working on that one.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 30th, 2007 at 8:20 am and is filed under About Me, About Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.