Hello once again, and welcome to another Quotable Thursday post, where quotes from authors and others are presented and used to help us find ways to improve our writing, and thus our careers.

Today, we'll be going the route of the "other" with a quote I was given at my recent graduation ceremony at the University of Texas at Arlington. So, without further adieu...

Jeff Kovarsky was a Communications major who graduated from my university, and, sadly, I have no more information on him other than that. The words he shared with my class, however, can be universally applied to any field that someone might want to excel at.

I've managed to put together a moderately decent resume in my writing career, with a number of academic credits, years of professional experience in journalism, and, looking at my book list, a number of stories published. Still, now more than ever, I've been pushing myself to read writing manuals and guides, trying to peace together skills and information that I have, so far, not been able to gather through my own experiences. I also actively seek out other writers and talk to them about the craft, because there's no better resource than those who've already gotten the success that you yourself are trying to attain.

I've seen a lot of people, older individuals to be honest, being very skeptical and often outright hostile to new information and ideas. It's a really big shame, because I've seen how this affects their work, their businesses, and their personal lives. Ultimately, one should never be afraid to look for new answers to the questions they've been asking, seeking out information from others, and always be willing to put aside your ego in order to try something new or to take some advice from a colleague.

So, in terms of writing, go out and explore. Try new things yourself, experiment as much as you can, and track your successes and failures. On top of that, look for books that teach about writing, because if you find just one thing in a writing manual that you didn't know before, something you can carry with you throughout the rest of your career, then it was worth it. That, and go out and find living resources. Regardless of where you live, many local bookstores will have author events such as book signings and Q&A's. There's no better way of getting advice on writing and the publishing industry than talking to the people who live and breathe it every day.

Even this blog I'm writing is an attempt to share and spread information that could be helpful to young writers. So, ultimately, take advantage of every resource at your disposal, and never let petty vanity block you from that information that could mean the difference between a pile of rejection slips and a shelf full of your own published works.