Not Giving Up

I’m currently editing the end of my first novel. It’s a goal that’s long eluded me. My writing failures outweigh my writing successes, yet somehow I’m putting the finishing touches to a story I’ve tried to tell for years, but never had the skills to do so until recently. I’m chalking this win up to one defining trait…

…I didn’t give up.

I hope that doesn’t sound smug or glib. Even last year, I would’ve given my eyes for a magic formula that could help me finish my book. But every writer knows there isn’t a magic wand you can wave (not outside your fictional realm, at least). The only way to bridge to gap between the writer you are now and the writer you want to be, is to keep going.

Grit is a particularly useful trait when life is hellbent on strewing your path with obstacles!

Sometimes I felt I gave everything to my writing and received nothing in return. I wrote every evening and weekend for years while stuck in unfulfilling jobs. I stayed in at weekends to meet self-imposed deadlines or to study plot structure. Work drained my time and energy but I was determined not to let writing fall by the wayside. Despite this, my skills didn’t seem to improve!

Yet something made me push on. (What makes a person sink months and years into writing a book without any guarantee of publication?)

Not giving up meant closing doors. I’ve accepted that I can’t have a career and write on the side. Or pursue my passion and be socially acceptable. I’ve turned my back on big city jobs.

Most of the time, I felt like I made the wrong decision. Stuck in a rut with writing, never moving forward and no idea what to try next. I’ve had to ‘not give up’ in spite of intense self-doubt. And I’ve had to overcome personal obstacles to keep going.

When I hired an editor to look at my novel, I was on the verge of throwing in the towel. Should I spend lots of money on something potentially unfixable, or should I give up? I hate asking for help, but I’d reached an impasse. I decided to give this book one last shot. Luckily, I found an editor perfect for me and my story. Turns out all I needed was a little guidance.

I loved this quote by author, V.E. Schwab:

“If you write 10k a day, you will end up with a book.

If you write 1k a day, you will end up with a book.

If you write 500 words every Tuesday, you will end up with a book.

If you write 100 words before bed, or 50 whenever you can a day, you will end up with a book.”

The point is persistence and intention pay off. When I thought I wasn’t getting anywhere, in reality, I was honing my writing, bit by bit. I learned something from every writing session, especially the bad ones, even if I was too drained or sad to realise at the time. Whether you walk or crawl to your destination, if you’re pointing in the right direction, you’ll get there.

Anyway, this was just a note to any struggling writers to say: please don’t give up! At least, not until you write ‘the end’. I promise the struggle will be worth it.