Write And Keep Writing
I thought I’d kick off this round of Sven with a story that’s stuck with me for quite some time now. It’s about not giving up. I don’t remember the details or even where I saw it. I think it was in RWR (the monthly magazine of RWA). If you know, speak up because I’d love to thank this lady. Her voice hovers in the back of my mind as a reminder to keep pushing forward. The story goes like this:
A woman was trying to get published. She wrote whenever she had a few minutes - when the kids went to bed, early in the morning before the family woke up to start the day, and at every other inconvenient time when she would rather have been doing something for herself or the family…or sleeping. After about a year, she finished the manuscript and sent it to a publisher. One day she got an envelope back. It was a rejection. She sat down, upset and disappointed, and thought about all those times she could have been doing something other than writing and how her hard work and sacrifice had been in vain. Then her son sat down next to her and asked why she was sad. She told him the publisher didn’t like her book. You know what the kid’s response was? Write another one and send that to the publisher.
Yes, young Skywalker. That is the answer. You pick up and start again. Whether you are published or unpublished, remember that you have the time and somewhere inside you is the will. If you don’t believe me, ask a kid. 
March 3rd, 2008 at 12:15 am
I love that no matter what, kids seem to see the clear cut answer through their magic Kid Filter
Great story, and thank you so much for sharing it, HelenKay!
March 3rd, 2008 at 6:05 am
Yes, thanks HelenKay! Perseverance is the key. If you really want it, you have to keep trying and also, write something else while you’re submitting your ms around
March 3rd, 2008 at 6:09 am
Thanks for that one
I’ve been collecting rejections on one of my novels, and it’s good to have a reminder to just keep going.
I hope that woman ended up getting published.
March 3rd, 2008 at 9:00 am
I’m not sure who wrote the article or who said that, but you know what? That’s exactly what my kids and my husband said to me. “Maybe that’s not the right one,” they told me. And maybe they’re right.
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:06 am
Gotta be careful with the “But it’s so haaaaaaaard!!!” wailing around the kidlets. Undercuts your authority when they want to quit guitar lessons / soccer camp / whatever they begged you to let them do and you give them the “nothing worth doing is easy” speech.
March 3rd, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Great story HK!!!
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
I love the story, thanks. Beautiful motivation.
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Erm… her story doesn’t mention anything about **editing** the darn thing… sorry, forgive me, it’s just, that’s the stage I’m struggling through right now…
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Deniz, anything worth having is worth suffering through the hard parts. Editing is always the hard part. Stick with it!
Great motivation, HelenKay! Many of us would never have published if we had given up after the first book. Or the second. Or even more than that. This is a tough business and as a writer, we have to learn to become as tough as it is.
Perserverance is the key. Never give up.
March 3rd, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Awesome story!!!!!! Thanks for sharing it!
Cheers,
E.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:01 am
Ah, the innocence of a child… The will to always go on… Sometimes, or maybe all the time, we need to look at life that way. Anything worth doing once is worth doing again (which is why I’m back here sweatin’ with ya’ll). Lovely story. Thanks for sharing!
March 4th, 2008 at 2:20 am
What a wonderful story, and just the kind of motivational push I needed this morning *grins*
March 4th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Great story! We all need that reminder some days. Hey, if you never give up, you’ll never fail. You just haven’t made it yet.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
lol… how old was your son, Helenkay?
March 4th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
What a great post, HelenKay. Thanks for sharing that story!
March 4th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
What a great story. I think at this point in my life trying to get that first book out in the world is the hardest. I appreciate the story and have tacked it to the wall to remind me to keep writing.
March 4th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
My nine-year-old son has our local bookstore staked out. Goes to the romance section, looks for the A’s and points. “Isn’t that where your book’s going to be, Mom?” He doesn’t care how hard it is, how frustrated I am with the book and the process and the lack of time. He just knows that’s where Mom’s book goes.
That pretty much keeps me at it.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:52 am
Hi everyone! Perserverance is the key. No question.
Shiloh - The wise little guy isn’t mine, but I do wish I could remember who
told that story. It’s a great one.
Sarai - I’m happy the story helped.
Laura - Your guy is just cool.