“Don’t rest on your laurels.” – Gavin Lucan, SF&F News blogger

There’s a flip-side to making mistakes, and that’s when you don’t think you’ve made any.

I know it’s tempting to look at something you made without encountering many, if any, difficulties, and think that you’ve discovered the formula to success. The trouble with that idea is twofold:

Firstly, there’s a reason why “formulaic” is used as a negative adjective. If something is the same as, or similar enough to, another thing, why should somebody buy both things?

Secondly, it leads to stagnation, boredom. Cranking out stuff by a formula every day could turn your Passion into another Day Job.

Keep reviewing the work you’ve just finished for ways you can improve the next lot of work.

“Just because you’ve done something really good,” Gavin says, “doesn’t mean you can’t do something better next time!”

Want to hear more about how Gavin Lucan turned his passion for science fiction and fantasy into a job at SFTV Australia? Listen to his episode of The Paid to Play Podcast!