Lately, I’ve come across so many quotes and ideas expressed by Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher. This one has been resonating a lot lately:

I do what is mine to do. The rest does not disturb me. (Marcus Aurelius)

In life, there are many situations that are in your hands to control; at the same time, many others are not, and that’s fine. You can only take care of those things that are in your power to change or keep. The same principle applies to writing. You decide the plot, the evolution of your characters and the ending. If you are an independent author, you decide how to market your book and which channels to use to spread the word about it.

However, you don’t choose how readers are going to like it. You don’t decide how they’re going to review it. Every reader is going to perceive it in different ways, and you don’t have a say on that. You can only use your writing skills the best way possible to craft engaging plots. The rest should not disturb you.

As long as you’re certain you’re doing your best in every aspect that is in your control, the rest will fall into place.

What’s your writing philosophy?