Persistence

Yesterday, I met with my critique partners. After toasting my success and listening to me blather on about myself, they mentioned something important.

I am where I am (debut novel coming out in 2009) because I put in the time.

This wasn't meant to imply I have no talent, and I didn't take it that way. I read somewhere that you don't come into your own as a writer until you write a million words. Yep, that's a one with six zeros after it.

Well...I haven't really kept track, but if you count drafts, Christmas cards, and each contraction I've ever written as two words, I think I'm getting close to that.

I read a story in Sun Magazine about a woman who spent 30 years writing a novel which never got published. Sad story in one way, but not sad in another. Inside forces drive writers not outside ones. Sure, many writers (moi included) want to be published, but do the piles of rejection letters ever make them quit writing?

I kept at it in the unpublished state for ten years, and can't imagine ever stopping.