I was going to write a blog post about how to keep going in this (sometimes) punishing game of pursuing publication, but my friend Adam Heine beat me to it, and did a better job with his post 5 Secrets to Keep in the Game. So check his blog first, then read on.
Sometimes I get frustrated. Which is truly ridiculous because I’ve had nothing but crazy good luck. But frustration is part of this game. It’s hard work, and a long haul, and there are lots of pits to fall in along the way. This is not a normal job, where you’re paid for your time and talents, get vacations and benefits, and maybe even an “atta girl” every so often.Writing is unlike any job I’ve ever had, both a hundred times more satisfying and a thousand times more frustrating.
There may be good reasons to stop writing. Things like personal health and family issues. Contrary to these Top 10 Reasons to Quit Writing, butting heads with the Frustration Monster is rarely a good reason to quit.
I’m always inspired by reading about long-time authors that have the same struggles that I do: frustration with the craft itself, struggles with the industry, difficulty with reviewers/critiques. In hopes of inspiring you to keep on the path, I’m sharing my personal …
10 Reasons to NOT Quit Writing and Why*
*Yes, these all happened to me.
#1 You’ve just gotten a devastating critique that left your heart in shreds.
Why: Anything that wounds you that bad is not helping you become a better writer. Leave it behind and move forward.
#2 You’re afraid that someone will actually read your novel, and hate it.
Why: For every person that hates your story, there will be one (or many more) that love it.
#3 You get back a critique that finds a fatal flaw in your story destined to kill the entire novel’s reason for being.
Why: That critique will make you a better writer.
#4 Re-reading your first attempts at fiction make you want to either gouge your eyes out or invent a time machine to go back and disable your computer.
Why: It’s not the flaws in your old work you have to worry about; it’s the flaws in what you’re typing now that you need to work on.
#5 You read about a writer who got representation after sending out 100 queries and you’re not sure you can live through 99 rejections.
Why: You won’t know if they want your story unless you ask.
#6 You read a famous author’s book in your genre and you panic, thinking there’s no way you can ever measure up to that and it might be a good idea to quit now so no one is disappointed.
Why: That author didn’t get there by giving up before they got started.
#7 You read a post on the interwebs about how your genre is dead, has been in the doldrums for decades, and you have as much chance of publishing in that genre as being hit by an asteroid.
Why: Genres are dead until someone writes something fabulous. And then they’re called “trends.”
#8 You read a post on the interwebs about how your genre is hot, hot, hot – so hot in fact that it’s already burning itself out and your MS isn’t complete yet.
Why: Half of all you read on the internet is wrong.
#9 You don’t know if you can possibly survive another revision of your MS.
Why: Having faith in your story will help you grow as a writer in ways you never expected.
#10 You find a movie on the Blockbuster shelf that has THE EXACT PLOT of your novel.
Why: You are unique, and your version of that story will never be the same as someone else’s.
I’m sure I’ll find a lot more reasons to not quit along the way, because I’m not giving up any time soon.
What reason do you have for NOT quitting?
Please excuse me while I go put my butt in a chair …
omg, Susan! Thanks! I've been struggling with this so much in the last week–actually the last few weeks… My voice in my head is pretty good, but other voices saying similar/the same things are even better! :o) <3
Oh, my, yes and amen to numbers #7 & 8. And #4. But especially #9. I still think the delete key is my bestest friend ever!
Your timing is perfect for me, Susan. I'm so hard on myself. It's the curse of perfectionism, I know that. My life–as everyone elses–has so much going on. I'd love to haul off to a cabin for three months–with Stephen King as my crit partner–and just write. But I have to keep reminding myself that it's my life experiences that have gotten me where I am right now. That without those, I wouldn't have had the passion to write in the first place.
These are wonderful, Susan. Yes, yes, yes especially to #9. I've done a whole-book rewrite twice when my query attempts fell flat. Now I'm starting to get requests. I'm so glad I didn't give up on it ms. after the first handful of form rejections, but went back and revised again.
Susan – those are great. Especially #6!
Currently here's my biggest. If I don't finish I'll have wasted five years creating this world for my character to live in… and his story will never be told, and he really wants to tell it. (and now I sound just a little bit crazy) π
I keep writing out of a love for the stories I created, and the desire to create more.
@LTM I'm so glad it helps! We all struggle in this journey.
@Darby IKR? I love the internet, but there are times it makes me crazy too. π
I REALLY like #7.
Love your #7! π
My reason? My characters won't let me quit. π
@Sherie I think the people who achieve the most in the world are the ones who are the hardest on themselves. It's perverse, but it's the way of things. You, lovely lady, are one of those people. π
@Laurel Those rewrites are the definition of hard. Good for you!
@DL I do #6 over and over, because apparently I'm a slow learner! π And being crazy-in-love with your story is a good thing. π
@Rick Ah, that's the best reason of all! π
@Adam I naturally root for the underdog anyway. π Also: great minds think alike. π
@Stina I thinkn #7 might be the runaway favorite! π And I love your reason. π
I agree with number 7 being awesome too, and I'm all over #10 too. π
#5 happened to me, too, and I haven't even sent out a first query (and I'm far from ready for it). But sometimes, reading about querying scares me. By sometimes I mean, nearly always.
Very scary reasons for quitting and very encouraging reasons for NOT! The critiques are something all writers who put their work out there must steel themselves for. And if we listen carefully to the critiques in the writing/editing process, we can avoid the really stinging ones after publication.
Amen to not chasing genres!
@Claudia Querying is scary. I'm doing it right now, and it still scares me. But it gets easier after you rack up a few requests to counter the rejects. π
@Nicki So true! Critiques are like gold and I treasure them. Thanks for stopping by! π
Awesome post! I've been running across a lot of discouraging stuff lately on blogs, which is why I posted mine about you're not going to make money. Because I think we writers are the dreamy types who get our heads in the clouds *haha, looking at your design here* and think it's all going to be so wonderful, a real joy ride, with everything going our way. Goodness, let's get real! See what Olympic champions have to go through! See what a concert pianist has to put into it! We writers can really be a whiny bunch sometimes. This was a wonderful reminder!
@KarenG Ha! Background aside, I'm not the dreamy sort. I think that's actually an advantage in this writing game. And you are right about people who accomplish things – there's a whole lotta sweat and angst behind those big wins. π
Wonderful and encouraging post – thank you Susan. My #1 reason for not quitting is my children. They want it so much for me. π
hi miss susan! i think the more hard stuff you got through and get through it the more stronger you get. i think thats for writing too. i try not to ever quit anything. you just got to believe in your self and believe you can to it.
…hugs from lenny
"#4 Re-reading your first attempts at fiction make you want to either gouge your eyes out or invent a time machine to go back and disable your computer.
Why: It's not the flaws in your old work you have to worry about; it's the flaws in what you're typing now that you need to work on."
And the fact that you see flaws at all shows that you have grown as a writer. π
Wow, every writer feels this way! You hit the nail on the head with this one. Why we don't stop? We simply can't.
@Shannon I love your reason!
@Lenny You are awesome for never giving up! And you are right – we never know how strong we are until we do something very hard. π
@sidekick Hey you! Yes, it's awesome when you can see the growth. π
@LM Yes! And the quote I still like best is: "If there's anything I can say that will stop you from writing, then you're not ready to be a writer." (who said that?)
Great post, Susan! This is the second encouaging post I've read this morning…I really needed both of them. π I think I can…I think I can…
Thanks! Have a great weekend!
@Sharon I'm glad it helped a bit with the chug up the hill! π
I'm going to check out the post you recommended about how to keep going. You're right. This can be so frustrating.
I'm plain old too stubborn to quit. I'm a fighter and a survivor, so my reason is half stubbornness and half determination. XD Thanks for the incredible, encouraging post.
Hi there Susan,
Thank you so much for posting this excellent post.
I am linking it to our Fear Busters Writing group to share.
Destiny