Virtues of A Writer Part I

A virtue is a positive trait or quality deemed to be morally excellent. Virtues are valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. Almost every culture has their own set of virtues. For example, the Romans had a list of nineteen and the Chinese have ten, divided into two categories, Deed, and Mind.
For the next few weeks, I'd like to talk about the Chinese Martial Morality. I will take one virtue from each category and talk about how it pertains to the writing community that I know and love.

The Morality of Deed

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Humility--The quality or condition of being humble.

Most writers I am acquainted with are quite humble. I'm sure, there are some braggarts in the writing community who like to act superior as soon as their name and work are published, but the writers I know are grateful and gracious upon publication. Sure, we all like to celebrate our accomplishments, and want to shout them from the rooftops, but for most of us, the entire process is usually humbling. I also find that most writers are so humble, they have a tough time with marketing and writing bios.

The Morality of Mind

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Courage--The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.

Writing is personal. Whether you write fiction, non-fiction, or memoir, writers put a little piece of themselves on paper. Sometimes it's our innermost thoughts, worlds we create, or strange subjects that intrigue us. Whether trusting a critique group to read our work, submitting to a publisher, and especially re-submitting after rejection, writer's are a very brave group.