When You Think You Might Quit...

Don't. (I think this might be the first blog post I've ever written that didn't start with the word "dude" "okay" or "so." Check it.) ((Also, warning, later in this post, there are some possibly disturbing pictures. Don't say I didn't warn you.))

Don't quit.

Things might get hard. Writing is hard. Revising is hard. Querying is hard. Marketing and publicity is hard. I'm sure that, intellectually, you know this. But do you know it?

Today, I'm going to share a story. A story of a kid. He was in my husband's sixth grade class last year, and he's suffered from seizures his whole life, being born with epilepsy. He's had countless surgeries, beginning when he was just tiny.

This past spring, he went in for some more treatment. Specifically, the doctors went into his brain and put grids on it.

Grids.

On his brain.

They then reduced his seizure medication, so that he'd have more seizures. They wanted to find the places where the seizures were originating. Then they cut out those parts of his brain that showed the most activity. It was at this point that my husband and I went to the hospital to visit the boy and his mom.

And let me tell you, that if you're thinking about quitting this whole writing thing--or anything really--think again.

Look at this:

And this:

And then look at your manuscript, and don't quit. If this kid can endure having his entire skull sliced open, you can surely get back into your manuscript and put a grid on it. Find out where the weaknesses are and cut them out. Sure, it might hurt, but do you ever think you'll have to endure anything like this kid? (I'm seriously hoping I don't.)

I'm dieting right now, and it's hard. I'll be starting school again next week, and that will be hard. Surely you have something in your life that makes you go, "Ugh. This is hard."

You know what? It probably is. But hard things are worth doing.

So yeah. Motivational message of the day: You can do hard things. Don't quit.

Have you survived something hard?

Helpful Post of Helpful Helpfulness

Okay, so this week I promised you some helpful things. You know, so this blog isn't all about me. I thought about what I would say or do, and the only thing I could come up with my lame brain was this huge linkfest to all these amazing things on the Internet.

And then I remembered that that's not really my thing, and who really clicks on all those links anyway? I might click on one or two, but yeah. I'm not a huge clicker-outer. So I nixed that. And came up with...

Nothing.

How ghetto, right? Uh, yeah.

But I'm just going to say a couple of things. I read a lot of blogs. I email with a lot of people. I see/hear/read/feel that maybe we all just need a pick-me-up. So today, this post is for anyone who feels discouraged about this whole publishing thing. Or anyone struggling to find their way in writing. Or anyone who lacks the self-confidence to keep querying, write another sentence, start another book.

If you feel like you're swimming against the current, I say keep swimming. Don't give up. Take a deep breath, turn your face into the wind, and forge onward.

And that's all I've got.

What have you got to add? Favorite inspirational quotes? What do you do when you feel like throwing in the towel? What helps you to keep going?

Querying is a Game

It really is. If you're querying right now, you're playing a game, one where you don't have all the pieces.

If you're feeling down about some rejections you've received recently, try to remember these things (these are the pieces you don't have to play with):

1. You don't know the agent's full client list. They may have a client that writes similar books to yours. They may reject you for this.

2. They may have just picked up an author with a similar plot line to your book. They may reject you for this. (This totally happened to me. I could name names. I won't.)

3. They may only be looking for a certain genre right now -- and you don't know what that is. They may see that yours isn't what they're looking for and reject you. Does it suck?

YES.

But like I said, it's a piece you don't have, that you can't play with.

4. They may have just sold to an editor that they would pitch your book to. They can't sub every book they have to the same editor, so they may pass on yours.

This is sucktacular too.

5. Timing is king. And unfortunately, you have no idea if it's on your side or about to checkmate you. So, uh, good luck with that...

So what can you do to stay in the game?

1. Write the best book you can.
2. Don't give up.
3. Whine to your writerly friends.
4. Work harder, learn more, write better.
5. Write another book.
6. Try, try again. (Okay, this is the same as #2. But it bears repeating.) Basically, I'm saying to send more queries. Each one is like a shiny new piece, a new opportunity, that could be the card that says, "Go directly to home, collect the $200, you're a winner!"

So yeah.

What do you think? What pieces of the game are you missing? Will you keep playing until you win? I hope you do. If you feel like throwing in the towel, send me an email, okay? Okay.

Don't Give Up

Okay, so step two on the mantra is: Don't Give Up.

This is crucial. Because, seriously, if you haven't already, you're going to feel like giving up. Sometimes several times a day. Or even several times an hour.

It's inevitable.

So what do you do when you feel like giving in? Sure, you're already working hard. You're reading blogs and practicing, critiquing and reading trade books. Yet, that voice that says, "You should just quit." seems so. Loud.

What I did: I found a safe place to say that. It could be your spouse. In an email to a dear friend. Your mom. Your crit group. Wherever.

But I believe that those feelings shouldn't be ignored or shushed. Say it. Say it out loud. (Holy vampires! Are you snarfing out loud? Cuz I am.) Say it, mean it, talk about it, but don't do it.

Don't give up.

And when you do, find that one person who can keep you going for just one more day. And then one more. And then one more...

So what do you do when you feel like giving up? (I close the lappy and turn on Pirates of the Caribbean. No, really. I do. I might make a batch of caramel popcorn and curl up under a blanket. It's my thing.)

Who do you turn to for help? Have you ever quit something and now you regret it? Does that keep you laboring down this long and winding publishing road?