Sunday, June 27, 2010

How To Quit Writing and End Up On The Bestseller Lists!

In my read, read and read some more Romance research program, I'm currently half way through Shirley Jump's Vegas Pregnancy Surprise. Shirley's writing is lovely and so easy and enjoyable to read and I did what I often do when I stumble upon a book I like, I checked out the author's web site.

There I found an article that I just couldn't not read ''HOW TO QUIT WRITING AND END UP ON THE BESTSELLER LIST''.

I couldn't have read this article at a better time. As you all know I got a painful R this week. Like we all do after such an email, I asked myself the usual questions. What am I doing? How long can I keep at this writing gig without making a success of it? Should I give up and take up quilting?

I came to the conclusion after much stewing that I'm not quite ready to throw in the towel. I still LOVE reading Romance and I still really, really, really love writing. I still desperately want to see my name on a published book! But this article by Shirley Jump in which she tells about how she DID give up and then got The Call was really inspiring and really something I needed to read this week!

Just curious? Anyone ever tried to give up writing? How long did you last?

11 comments:

Eleni Konstantine said...

Rachel, at the SA Roadshow, we had Yvonne Lindsay, Anna Campbell and Amy T Matthews talk to us about their road to publication. And to the point in Yvonne and Amy's cases to quitting and not writing. It lasted only a few weeks in both cases.

I'm going the agent hunt ATM, but at any stage I have something out there - be it to agent, a short story, to a publisher. Back n 2006, due to ill health I stopped writing all together - that lasted well over a year. And slowly I crawled back.

It's a hard apprenticeship. Definitely!

Unknown said...

Rachael, I think about quitting regularly when I get frustrated with myself, but I haven't actually tried to do it.

Jackie Ashenden said...

Last R I thought about giving up. And then when I had to rewrite my synopsis. And then when I had to rewrite my partial.
The desire only lasted a day. And then I was planning my next story so really, don't think I ever will. Great article though huh?

Lacey Devlin said...

No quilting!!

I love Shirley's books, I'm not really impressed with her then-agent are you?

Rachael Johns said...

Hey Eleni - yeah Becca told me Yvonne's inspirational story. i guess there's LOTS out there. And don't worry - I ain't quitting! Good luck with your subs!

Anne - lol you sound just like me!!

Jackie - I remember all those times and I knew they would pass :)

Too right Lacey - I'd LOVE to know who that agent was so I could avoid them like the plague!!

Cathryn Hein said...

I have at least one I'm-going-to-chuck-this-stupid-thing-in moment per book. For some reason, though, I keep going. Must be because I know the high of finishing will be so good. But I also understand that each book will make me a better writer and take me one step closer to reaching my dream.

Besides, I hate quitting. It makes me all twitchy.

Janette Radevski said...

LOL - I say I'm gonna quit like ALL the time, and then you or Jackie or both of you talk sense into me.

AJ Blythe said...

Rach, Shirley's story gives us all hope, doesn't it!

You'll get there Rach, you are SO close :)

And Janette,none of that talk from you either ;)

Jennifer Shirk said...

The second R I ever got I thought about quitting. And I did for a whole...3 weeks. Then I got another idea and thought I'd give it one more go. Then that one was the one that got published.

Rachael Johns said...

Well gals, I'd say we all have at least ONE thing in common! We ain't QUITTERS!!!

Melinda McJames said...

Quitting writing is the easiest thing in the world. I've done it 100 times now!