It's Okay to be a Quitter

Rejections suck.

Writing is hard.

Feedback is painful.

And the urge to quit is overwhelming.

We've all felt this way at one time or another. Today, I had a dear writer friend joke with me that she was going to quit.

"So do it," I told her.

Her eyes widened.

"Just as long," I continued, "as you stay committed to the cause and quit quitting."

You see, real quitting takes commitment, you can't half-ass it. Two years ago, after I received my 100th rejection on my first book, I threw in the towel. But, you see, I'm a hard core quitter. So much so that I quit quitting only a few months later and was back at the computer drafting my next novel - the novel that would land me my agent agent, go out on submission, and...well, hopefully I'll have news soon :)

So, my advice to those considering quitting? Go ahead. (Just remember to follow through.)

:)

Check out my query and the offer from my agent that followed!

Hi guys!

Today I was interviewed by the awesome Matt Rush. To see the interview, my query letter, and the emails from my soon-to-be agent that followed, click here.

:)

Blog Chain Post: Inspiration Vs. Market Trends

First off, I'd like to give a big welcome to the new members on the chain. I know how people always talk about the "solidarity" of the writer's life - but forget that! I'm a very social person. I love Love LOVE people. And when it comes to writers, the more the merrier :)

Okay, now back to the topic at hand. This chain was started by the fabulously talented Michelle who asked:

Do you write for the market or for yourself? Why? Are there times you do both? Or times when you've written something specifically because it was "hot" at the moment? If so, how did it turn out?

Personally, I write for myself. Only because if a story doesn't entertain me enough in the writing stage, then there's little hope for getting it down on paper. I started taking martial arts classes with my husband, and it didn't take me long to wonder what would happen if there were still ninja around lurking in the shadows and waiting to attack. After that, KATANA was born.

Plus, I have an incredibly short attention span. If a book doesn't capture my attention within the first chapter - I put it down. The same goes with my writing. If I'm not enamored with my subject and entertained while writing it, I'm going to stop writing. How do I know? Because I have two projects that will never be finished because I tried to write about a subject I didn't really care about. Some people can pull it off. I can't.

So there you have it. Sorry for the short post but I'm getting down to the wire on the house move and I had some good news (that I'll hopefully be able to share soon) over the weekend that has kept me a little distracted. ;)

So, please continue to keep me distracted! Give me your opinion - do you write for yourself or for the market?

In the meantime, check out my new linkmate, Christine, who posted yesterday and Rebecca who will post tomorrow.

Happy Easter!