Four-leaf clovers make great guides!

I know, that title is a weird one. Just bare with me.

Some people may not know that the four leaves on a lucky-if-you-find-one four-leaf clover actually are supposed to mean something. Faith, hope, love and luck to be exact. And honestly, who couldn't use a bit more of these four things in their life, right?

Let's look at each one as it pertains to writing, shall we? 

FAITH

Every writer since the invention of the brain has had to find their own version of faith if they ever planned on getting the thoughts and ideas in their head onto paper. Human beings all have thoughts and ideas, things they think up during the course of the day that would undoubtedly affect another person's life--whether it be through laughter or tears or fear or happiness. We all have ideas that could change the world. A writer must rely on the faith that what they have to say will change the world in order to muster the courage to relay those ideas into a book.

HOPE

Oh boy, does this one ever play a role in a writer's life. Without hope, what's the point of anything, right? Hope keeps us all going, keeps our heads up when life steps on our toes and tries to crumble us. Hope is the reason the world has evolved as it has, the reason wars ended and we have cures for diseases. For a writer, hope represents possibility. The possibility that the faith we somehow found will have not been in vain. Hope is a writer's ultimate muse.

LOVE

Oh yes, just as with Faith and Hope, Love is a necessity for any writer. For most of us, our day jobs are just that: jobs. We go because we have to, because for some strange reason, people won't let us have food and electricity and houses and cars for free. But for some lucky ones, the word "job" doesn't apply to what they do every day. For them, it's a love affair. They truly love what they do, so it in no way feels like work. That is what words are to a writer: an intense, maniacal, fanatical love affair. Without love, books wouldn't exist.

LUCK

Though some may not like to admit it, writers (of the published variety) would not exist without even the tiniest bit of luck. Ask J K Rowling, Stephen King, Stephenie Meyer--they all will tell you that they were turned down by agents and editors and publishers, until the day luck intervened and said "enough is enough!" Even the most talented writer, the most creative weaver of words, has to have a bit of luck on their side. 

Life can be hard. We all know it, we all accept it. But with a little bit of these four things in your pocket, it might just be a little less hard. So...get out there and start hunting for four-leaf clovers.

And happy writing!