Determination no matter what

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Nothing could apply more to publishing. We are down to the final days of NaNoWriMo, and I bet some of you are facing a lack motivation to reach the end…or maybe you’re facing the daunting task of what’s next (revisions! Uh, yay…?).

You’re not alone.

Writing is never, EVER an easy process.

There are easy days, but most days are hard.

There are easy sentences and easy scenes, but most are a pain to squeeze out.

There are days when motivation and inspiration are bursting from your fingertips, but most days, it’s a trial to even sit at the computer.

There are novels that pour forth easily, but most novels are an agonizing process of labor and frustration.

And there are days that you love what you do and days you hate it.

It is okay.

You are not alone.

Whenever those hard moments strike–and they will be more often than not–you must simply say, “It’s okay because I refuse to give up.”

When a rejection from an agent rolls in again, you must say, “Okay, maybe next time” and then send out more query letters.

When a scene or character refuses to cooperate, you must say, “Okay, I’ll keep working until I get it sorted out.”

When your  motivation flags, you must say, “Okay. I will BICHOK anyway.”

When your publisher cancels your series, you must say, “Okay, I will write another series and then another until something else sells.”

When your crit partner or editor doesn’t like your book, you must say, “Okay, I will fix it until it’s good enough.”

When all of your friends get book deals or better deals than you, you must say, “Okay, it’s not a race. I will sell my book one day too.”

When things seem hard,

you must never, EVER give up.

I cannot count how many times I have met a “writer” who I knew would never get published. They claimed they loved to write and wanted to sell a book…one day. But if you really mean what you’re saying–if you actually WANT this publication dream enough to achieve it, then you can’t wait for “one day”. I don’t mean you shouldn’t wait for one day–I mean you CAN’T. It is in your blood to write, and by golly, nothing can keep you from the keyboard.

If you want to write,  then write right now.

It’s okay, of course, if you don’t do it now. There will be many times in life when other things take priority over writing, and that’s FINE. But don’t expect to get published if you make your writing a low priority–or don’t prioritize it at all.

Writing is a job, and you must treat it as one to succeed.

To be a writer, you must be disciplined–yes, there is no denying this. But discipline can sometimes face obstacles.

Rejection.

Timing.

More rejection.

Inspirational hiccups.

Self-doubt.

Competition.

And always–always–more rejection.

But you cannot let these stop you.

Let your determination outweigh your impatience.

Let your determination outweigh your fear of failure.

Because in the end, the only thing that decides whether or not you succeed is YOU. Only you can choose when you have failed.

Yes, there are some who will achieve success through sheer dumb luck.

But most of us get there by sheer stubbornness. So…

And one day, you’ll get exactly where you want to be.

♥