Writers' Thoughts: What is Awesome?

Awesome is a word we use a lot. Heck, we've even got it in our blog's name. But what is awesome?

Here's what the dictionary says about the word awesome:

Awesome
adj

1. impressive and frightening: so impressive or overwhelming as to inspire a strong feeling of admiration or fear.
2. excellent: used as a general term of enthusiastic approval (slang)

So, being talkative people, we decided to have a little group chat about what makes a writer awesome.

Amparo: Support. Making others feel like they belong somewhere--awesome doesn't get any better than that to me.

Kristal: An awesome writer is someone who writes, even in the midst of rejections and disappointments. It is someone who steps back from their failures, and instead of wallowing in them, uses them to improve their craft. It is someone who never gives up on their goals and dreams. And even when they achieve them, they still strive forward. An awesome writer never lets success stop them from wanting to learn more.

Kelly: Being awesome as a writer means aiming beyond your skill level, and then working to raise yourself up. It means that when you get discouraged or rejected, you lick your wounds and eventually find a way to get better. It means finding new stories to tell and new ways to the tell them, while remaining true to your own voice and vision.

Lindsay: What makes a writer awesome is not only the way they have honed their craft, but the way they never give up. Through the journey they write on regardless of publishing glory, money, or fame. They write because it's scorched across their soul. It feels as natural as breathing, but no less harder than living. An awesome writer writes for the story. Because the story is what makes the writer awesome.

Angie: Listen, learn and be still. Listen to the reasons your work is being rejected. Learn from seasoned authors. Let peace into your heart, stay positive. Take all that you've learned and use that knowledge to improve your work.

Katrina: To answer this, I thought of a few of my favorite authors: C.S. Lewis, LM Montgomery, Stephenie Meyer, Kiersten White (she's new, totally check her out). Totally different writing styles, all. The thing that makes them all awesome is their uniqueness. They're true to themselves. They have a distinct voice that sets them apart, and they're not trying to be like everybody else. That's what makes a writer awesome: being true.

So that's what we OA gals think. What about you?

What do you think makes a writer awesome?

P.S. Don't forget to pop back tomorrow for our spectacular Mystery Agent revelation. Oh yeah, and the winner will be announced as well. :)