If you’re reading this I know you’re not a quitter.
Of course that is much easier done than said but you’ve at least taken the first step in saying you do not want to be a quitter (which I already know you’re not).
Writing isn’t for the faint of heart. For those who are not writers you could be artists, photographers, painters, the path is still NOT for the faint of heart. It’s hard work, dedication, and the occasional cry fest. However if you’re in the business then you already know it’s worth it. You have those moments of clarity that keep you going.
Blogging is a way I stay on the positive side of life. All the support I get from my blogger friends and writer friends keep me motivated to push on. I have moments of quit but they don’t stay for long. You’re reminded why you do it, the passion that carries you the whole way. Those moments that let you know you’re not in it just because, but for more than that!
Finishing your first draft – Step One
Revising until you want to die – Step Two thru One Hundred and Seventy
Writing a Query – We stopped counting steps
Sending the query to agents – Nerve-wrecking step
We get rejected (multiple times) – No one wants to count but they do
We get accepted – HOORAY!!! Dreaming this is step one.
We get published – HOORAY!!! Again hoping this is a quick and speedy process
Each one of those steps is an accomplishment. Yes, even the rejection part. It’s part of what the process is all about. With each rejection you are one step closer to finding the one. So take a little risk and you’ll reap a little reward.
So are you a quitter?
58 comments:
Quitting, oh so easy and so hard all at the same time! Great write. Stop in & read The Quatrefoil Watch
I tried to be a quitter but it was just so hard and I couldn't do it...so I quit!
Sorry, I couldn't resist saying that. Great post. :)
Hell no! Gotta keep going! ;-)
No. But it would be interested to see out of the initial 1K bloggers signed up for the A-Z challenge - how many followed through the whole month. :)
Nope and can't. I got to keep going or I would die. :)
Even if I think about quitting, I don't think I ever could. The struggle and hard work only make us stronger! Plus, there's the joy that writing brings. :)
I'd never dream of quitting something that I enjoy.
Okay, I might take a little rest now and then but quit? Never!
Yay! Love to see we haven't come across any quitters!!! I'd give you the kick you need to keep on trucking!
Laura - I think you make a fabulous point!!! Lots of people give up but I think we should at least be impressed that they took the plunge.
Me quit... never. If you don't know the pain and devastation of your craft then you're not doing something right. Writing is definitely not for the faint of heart. The more dedication you put in, the sweeter the reward at the end.
I've wanted to quit so many times, now. But after a good cry-fest and pity party, my MS is still there.
Revision is the seventh circle of hell(that can be your "R")
I don't think there's even the possibility that I could quit. I think writing is just a part of me, no matter what. So - any time things get tough and I feel a bit down about it - I tell myself "there's no crying in baseball" LOL.
Not yet! LOL.
Oh I hope not Jen!
Wow, you are at Q already! The month went fast. No I am not a quitter. I just have projects that go on for a long time!
"Revising until you want to die..." Yup, I'm there. Well, actually, I'm completely rewriting but you already know that. ((hugs)) Your encouragement means the world to so many even if they never tell you.
The best part about creative work is there is always a reward at the end that you are striving for. It may take artists (any kind) 100 (read: thousands of) failed attempts before getting it right, but when you finally do, it's bliss. :)
Nope, I'm not a quitter (I can't even quit smoking...ugh)
ME? NEVER! I'm a taurus and the bull never gives up!
Great reminder - to quit is to lose! I haven't quit yet, but I am certainly stuck!
Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.
I quit believing for awhile. But I never quit trying.
I signed up for the A-Z Challenge, and there's no way I'm going to quit now, having got two-thirds of the way through. I'm definitely a non-quitter - which is maybe why I can't quit cigarettes or chocolate!
No quitters here :) Thanks for another inspirational post!! And another reason to keep on keepin' on :)
Cheers!
no quitters here!!! Great post Jen.
Any word yet on the status of your manuscript? I am so excited for you, I can hardly wait!!!!
I hope you have a great day
I agree with some of the comments above, sometimes quitting is harder then doing! Good post!
I was going to do a post on quitting today, but I think you said it better than I would have. I love your list of steps. :D The only time I was exhausted and "I don't know what to do!", my friend told me, "Commit, Laura!" and I knew I had to anyway--the characters were too important to me to let go.
This was a great post for me today, not because I was thinking about quitting writing, but because I was thinking about quitting something else that I love. Now I know I need to hold on.
NEVER!!!
Wonderful post today, Jen!
Great post! :-)
I. AM. NOT. A. QUITTER.
Absolutely NOT!! One should never quit or give up on a dream. Never. :)
No way! There's no crying in baseball!
I hate quitting as much as I hate dust. :P onwards and upwards I say!
nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
I am a procrastinator. It's not the same as quitting, but sometimes things get put off indefinitely. I hope that is one obstacle I can overcome.
I'm not a quitter. Nice way to look at rejection, just being part of the process. I'll have to get that in mind.
http://ifbloggingburnedcalories.blogspot.com
Obviously not!
Do you count as a quitter if you come back? Cause I have thrown in the towel a few times but I always come back.
I love celebrating all the steps! It's a good way to keep me going. Here's to not quitting!
AWESOMEness.
NO quitting over here!!! xoxo
Quitting is not for writers. Quitting is for Wimps.
I'm definitely not a quitter.
heck no. I'm fighting! :)
No quitting here. I tried quitting once before but it turns out writing wasn't done with me so now there is no quitting.
I've considered quitting many a time but then I just get angry with myself and keep going.
No quitters here!
Heck no, I'm no quitter! Maybe I'm a "pauser", in that I've taken some breaks here and there to get my head together and recharge my mojo, but I'm definitely not a quitter.
And I already know you're not! GO JEN GO!
Hey Jen - I'm on revising until I die... Ugh.
nope, but man has it come close recently... but that's just the boring easy way out - I've decided I'm going forward with a fight!
Lx
I'm not a quitter though sometimes I want to be. But I can't.
I don't want to quit. I don't want to quit. I don't want to quit.
I'm a quitter in some respects. If a project becomes totally overwhelming, or I feel as though I've given it my best and it's not going anywhere, I'll either shelve it or take a hard look at it and decide to move on. There's a fine line between tenacity and sheer stubbornness, between chasing a dream and drowning while clutching a lost cause.
What can I say--another awesome post! Without my writer friends, I don't think I could've gotten through those most difficult writing moments.
We both picked the topic of quitters today. Cool!
I'm not a quitter unless it's something I need to quit. I'm also kind of stubborn.
Lee
Tossing It Out
"Never give up, never surrender!" -- Galaxy Quest
Where would I be now if I'd quit? Great post!
Sue
I am an anti-quitter which means I really don't know when to stop trying. But that means I am still married so...
Thanks for the words of inspiration.
I am almost done with my alphabet book.
Quitting is for wimps. And I ain't no loser, baby!
Hmmmm...I don't think I am a quitter. Then again, I am only a beginner so time will tell. And I am a wimp when it comes to snakes :-)
I am not a quitter, I am a learner. Still pretty new at blogging, and reading and learning everything I can.
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