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Have you ever felt like quitting? I hadn’t, not until last week. That’s when I got stuck, again. I couldn’t write a single word. I tried for four hours. I went back and forth between two chapters, over and over again. Nothing, so I gave up and called it a night. This isn’t the first time I’ve been stuck in the last couple months, but I never, ever thought of quitting. Till last week. Part 1 – The Idea: I was having another sleepless night. That’s when the thought of quitting started. At first I couldn’t imagine it, but the idea, it wouldn’t leave me alone. Then I thought ,what if. What if I quit?  I realized I can give it up, even though I’ve been writing since 2007. That night I came up with a few ideas on how to stop, how to tie up my loose ends. When I gave myself permission, I felt free. Free from stress that night. Free to look at my life and the choices I want to make. And finally free, to go to sleep. Now I’m looking back at last week, matching my three experiences with a quote. I hope it helps you if you’re thinking about quitting. And me, I hope it helps if I’m in this situation again. Quote #1: You have to fail in order to practice being brave. Who said it?  Mary Tyler Moore Inspiring Quotes found an interview from 1997 that Mary Tyler Moore did. She also said, “Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage.” These are two pictures of Mary. The first is from the Dick Van Dyke Show. It ran for 5 years in the 60’s, and it was one of my favorite TV shows. The second is from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It ran for 7 years during the 70’s, and it was another favorite of mine. I thought Mary was super successful, but I guess even successful people have failures too.  Sources: This Photo from 1988: By Photo by Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1471176 Quote #1 : Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes Tomorrow - the next morning - how I felt and my decision Part 2 – And the Result: The next day, I felt lighter. I could quit, if I wanted to, or I could continue on. My choice, so I opened my laptop, and . . . I started writing. It felt wonderful!  I wrote past the block in chapter 1, then past the next one in chapter 11. By the end of that day, my first chapter was ready for my critique group, and the second, it needed a little fine-tuning. But it was close! I could write that day, but I left the door to quitting open, just in case. Deciding to write, or not to write gave me a freedom I haven’t had in years. For me. For my writing. Here’s the quote that expresses how I felt. Quote #2: A self that goes on changing is a self that goes on living. Who said it?  Virginia Wolf Inspiring quotes found these words originated from her ideas about the writers who’d published before her. But they apply to everyone. Virginia too. We’re all human – our ideas grow and change. Learning new things, or learning from mistakes, that’s part of the process. We don’t lose integrity because of it. We gain, in both our personal and professional lives.  Part 3 – The Next Obstacle: Remember that second chapter that needed polishing? I worked on it, but there was more to polish than I imagined. I ran into an unexpected obstacle on the last two pages. I had too much information, and it slowed down the story. So I cut and polished, over and over again, but sometimes you have to quit, to get things right in the long run.  And that’s what I did. I went outside to read and relax. I didn’t plan to, but it’s what I needed to do. I realized I’d pushed so hard to write/revise a chapter in a week, that I forgot to have fun. Here's the quote that applied to me that day. Quote #3: Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant. Who said it?  William A. Ward Inspiring Quotes researched and discovered that William was a motivational writer. He wanted to inspire people with words. He believed success could start with one small step, like making a plan, or finding start-up money. The important thing – be patient. His advice – find pride and satisfaction in each small step you take.  Part 4 – The Obstacle Revelations: I hit obstacles in two chapters on a Monday, but by Friday I worked my way through them. I was hoping the next two would be obstacle-free. They weren’t, of course.  That’s when I realized I’ll be facing them in each and every chapter of this manuscript. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever written. Why? I’m doing more research in each chapter than I’ve ever done before. Then I have to pick the facts that work, that move the story forward. If they don’t, I edit/revise until the plot, characters, and supporting details do. After a week of bouncing off story walls, I wrote my way to the end of them, and to this quote. It helped me figure out how I can manage this story, chapter by chapter. Quote #4: To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first. Who said it?  William Shakespeare Inspiring Quotes found this in scene 1 from Henry VIII. The set-up – The Duke of Buckingham is complaining about a character who’s manipulating the king. The Duke of Norfolk warms him to be careful, to control his anger. That didn’t resonate with me, but this part did . . . acting in haste gets you the worst results. Norfolk said, step back. Think, and you’ll see the insights and perspectives that help you choose the right way to go.  My conclusions, after a week of struggle: 1. It’s OK to fail. Sometimes you need to stop and make a new plan. 2. Change when you need to. When I get stuck, I should take a break. I need fun and family too. 3. When I get stuck, I should step back. Later I’ll see how to edit and revise. 4. Each chapter feels like I’m climbing some steep hills. I need to write at this story’s speed. Sometimes that’s fast, and the story just flows. Other times it’s slow or no-speed at all. That’s when my ideas need time to develop. PS – I’ll let you know how these conclusions work out. 
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AuthorWhen I write, I can only have one voice in my head, mine. A little noise is fine. But too much, or worse yet, WORDS, and I must change rooms or pull out headphones. Then I can write on! Categories
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