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How Many Times Have You Quit Writing?
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[deleted user]
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May 28, 2014 08:07AM
I mean quit for six months or more with the idea of giving it up entirely. I've been discouraged many, many times, but only once did I say "that's it" and actually decide to quit. It lasted almost a year before I decided to take a different tack, dump my agent who was destroying my self confidence, and go indie. So, what's your story?
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Several times - and for years. Not just the discouragement but other life events such as a beautiful screaming baby and then when he stopped screaming non-stop a very demanding job came along. The more recent struggle to write has more to do with questions I ask myself regarding relevance than any real hindrance.
Susan wrote: "I mean quit for six months or more with the idea of giving it up entirely. I've been discouraged many, many times, but only once did I say "that's it" and actually decide to quit. It lasted almost ..."
I actually did give it up about twenty years ago after publishing several short stories and writing a novel. I just got tired of dealing with editors who would keep a MS for years--yes years!--before rejecting it. When I discovered I could self publish, I became interested again. It's much more enjoyable to put the time in that it takes to write a good story and know it will be published.
I actually did give it up about twenty years ago after publishing several short stories and writing a novel. I just got tired of dealing with editors who would keep a MS for years--yes years!--before rejecting it. When I discovered I could self publish, I became interested again. It's much more enjoyable to put the time in that it takes to write a good story and know it will be published.
Yes, after a while you get tired of not being treated like a professional. At my job, I was expected to answer emails by close of business, if not sooner. Yet agents and publishers think nothing of leaving a writer waiting for weeks or months or never bothering to respond at all.
When I retired in 2001, I created a bucket list that contained 6 items; determined to acomplish all of them.Writing a novel was one of the items on the list. It took me 14 months to produce the manuscript, and then an additional 11 months working with the publisher; polishing and completing what I had naively presumed was a complete and polished manuscript. It was released Aug. 9, 2011.
Having checked that particular item off the list, I focused upon completing the remaining 5 items that were either only partially complete or not yet started.
That was my one and only novel. I have not written another; so I guess I quit writing.
Twice. Worst decision I've ever made and will never quit again. Regardless of all the frustrating things that sometimes come with the business part of writing, writing in and of itself is a passion and I found it very difficult to manage without that passion and outlet in my life. :)
I currently enjoy writing too much to quit, especially with indie publishing being a viable avenue now. I get to write at my speed knowing it will get published. :)
Twice, and it didn't stick either time. Obviously :)
Never. I had a slump where I was too restless to write and I got more and more agitated until I started writing again.For me, writing is an outlet, especially for my darker side. I'm basically not that far removed from my protagonist and I'm afraid what I might do if I wouldn't be able to defuse myself writing my books.
Ten years ago I quit after just SEVEN rejections from publishers for a YA book I wrote. Even after one invited me to send the whole book before rejecting it. Which was a pretty decent place to be really. But I think, when you are in that place of absolutely no return -when you KNOW you would continue writing - even for nothing, then you're finally in that unstoppable place when you will succeed X
