Never Give Up

Sorry, no teaser this week or next week. This week I'm working on ARML's rewrites and next week I'm on vacation. I don't really want to tease something I'm not even working on so I'm going to wait and hopefully be back with new ARML teasers. =D

(I hope this makes sense. It was written at two this morning while I had Someone's Watching Over Me stuck in my head.)

So instead I'm going to blog about never giving up. In this business, perseverance is probably the most important trait after patience. You can write the greatest book in the world but no one's going to know unless you break through that last case of writers' block, polish that manuscript one last time, rewrite that query one more time, send out one more query.

It's not an easy road, this road to publication. It's more like the road to a certain nearby town that's filled with potholes and those weird continuous bumps that make you stop to check to make sure you don't have a flat tire. And these potholes never end.

You'll get writers' block.

You'll get stuck on a revision.

You'll get rejections from agents.

And more from editors.

You'll get bad reviews.

And there'll be readers that don't like your book.

And once that first book is out there? There's another one to start the process all over again.

And that's okay. Because there will always be bright spots on that road too. A finished novel, a finished revision, a request from an agent, an offer of representation, a three-book deal, a starred review, a reader emailing you to tell you they loved your book.

To quote Doctor Who: The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant.

Not only is life a pile of good things and bad things, but so is the road to publication. Which is part of this author life. So never give up because someday that one person will say "Yes." And every "no" that came before it will be worth it.

Comments

LM Preston said…
I love the way you summed up this writing addiction from the start to the end.
July 13, 2010 at 10:45 AM
Caitlin R. O'Connell said…
This is a really great post, HR. It's absolutely true. Sticktoitiveness is definitely a trait a writer has to have.

Also, that may be one of my favorite Doctor Who quotes ever.
July 13, 2010 at 11:44 AM
Ellen said…
Wooo Dr. Who quote :) And it's so true here. Great post!
July 13, 2010 at 1:09 PM
Marieke said…
"The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant."

This.

Loved your post, thank you :)
July 14, 2010 at 11:25 AM
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