If you’ve been writing long, then no doubt you’ve discovered the need for tenacity and all of its synonyms such as persistence, determination, perseverance, resolve, endurance and many more.
Before you’re published you need to adopt the tenacity my terriers possess in order to learn your craft, write your first novel, and then polish it until it gleams. More often than not you’ll receive at least one rejection letter from an agent or editor during this grueling process. The urge to give up and quit will be strong. So sink your teeth into your writing and refuse to give up no matter what obstacles the world throws at you.
Know what? I
hope I don’t sound like the voice of gloom, but the need for tenacity doesn’t go
away after you’re published, if anything the trait becomes more important.
Fears start bombarding you. What if I never sell another book? What if I can’t
find an agent? What if my sales are too low? It took me three years to write
the first book in this series. What made me think I could write the second book
in six months? That’s when the terrier in you kicks in with tenacity. Take a
deep breath and keep writing. After all, that’s how you became published to
begin with.
And then there
are the demands on your time: children, day jobs, committees, spouses, aging parents
and a hundred other things. That’s when you have to buckle down and decide if
you’re in this for the long haul. Am I doing what God desires of me? If you
answer yes then keep plugging along. God will give you the endurance and time
to write. He will help you carve out an hour in the morning or late at night to
write. The strength to turn off the television and read a craft book instead.
And sorry folks, but I’m not talking about a knitting book. Instead read a book
that will help you plot your novel or edit your first draft. Giving up an hour
of sleep on a rainy day or turning off your favorite TV program might be hard,
but when you’re holding a completed manuscript in your hand you will be glad
you did.
I like to think
I’m somewhat tenacious. After all, I haven’t given up writing yet, but I know I
still have tons of room for improvement before I’m as focused as Crosby and
Nolly Grace. What about you? Are you as tenacious as my Westies?
Terri Weldon is a lead analyst by day and an author by night. She enjoys gardening, reading, and shopping for shoes. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction. She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Terri has two adorable Westies – Crosby and Nolly Grace. Terri is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. Her dream of becoming a published novelist came true in November 2013 when Mistletoe Magic, released from White Rose Publishing.
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