Comments on: I Quit!

By: Mary Kennedy

Mary Kennedy — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:31:59 +0000

You’re a fantastic writer, Caridad and your volume of work is amazing. I don’t know anyone else writing (and sell!) 20 books in 10 years while holding down a high-profile, high pressure job. All your devoted fans are glad you’re in the game. And I agree, I think this field really does tend to grind people down. There are a few little blasts of joy here and there, mostly when someone says our books have brightened their day or gotten them over a rough patch in their lives. That *almost* makes up for the occasional mean-spirited review or the disappointingly small royalty checks!

By: Caridad Pineiro

Caridad Pineiro — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:30:59 +0000

This is an industry that grinds you down no matter what route you choose to pursue. More than once my friends and I have asked ourselves, “Why do we do this?” The answer always comes back to the fact that we love to write and tell stories. Or at least, that’s what I tell myself whenever I have a setback and there have been many over the years. I love to tell stories and meet new people. I live to visit places I haven’t been and go on marvelous adventures through the words that I put on the page. I try to keep that away from the sales part of the industry because in reality, I have no control over that. No matter how good you think your book might be, it may not sell well. You have to disassociate the love of writing from how well the book is selling, otherwise you will make yourself miserable.

By: Edmund de Wight

Edmund de Wight — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:28:17 +0000

Quitting is easy. The urge to stop trying is seductive in it’s lack of effort needed. I quit once. I stopped believing in myself and thought “What’s the point I’ll never be a big time writer, I’m not that good”.
My wife (well really, shouldn’t your spouse be your cheerleader?) metaphorically smacked me in the head and told me that I could indeed write. She told me that others who said I was a talented writer were not just saying things to make me feel better.
So here I am again. You try, you fail, you get back up again.
I will say that one thing I have learned is that the world of electronic publishing is a godsend. Even if I don’t find my legions of readers in the first year or two, I can leave my products out there in perpetuity.
Who knows, in 3 or 4 years some bored reader will find my writing and want more – lucky for me I will have followed wiser writer’s advice and kept writing and publishing so they will have a nice choice to read and recommend.
Easiest job on earth this writing gig. I hope to keep it well into my golden years.
Now I have to get back to writing and my publishing efforts. I have to get my first couple books completed and placed on Amazon and elsewhere.

By: Barbra Annino

Barbra Annino — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:27:34 +0000

I think this PG group, like myself, is passionate about writing, both as a business and as craft, so the views here reflect the ‘serious’ writers among us. We cannot imagine giving up on stories, because that’s what brings us joy. Even the poster’s opinions don’t truly reflect the opinions of the writer who walked away. We’ll never know how she felt unless she stops by.

Not everyone is passionate about writing. Some just want to try it on for size, because 90% of the population thinks they have a book in them. Or maybe it’s 75%, I’m not sure. So they write it, may even try to publish it, and then they stop. Maybe after one, two, three titles, but some people do stop. I don’t call this quitting. I call it life.

Life is all about trying new things. I used to love gardening, now I’d rather spend time outdoors walking my dogs. I used to love antiquing, but I got tired of the clutter and prefer a sleek, comfortable look now. I used to make bath and body products for myself and my friends until a soap bottle exploded in my friend’s shower. I’ve never tried to make my own wine, but that’s on the list:)

People change careers all the time. I have a friend who had a very successful jewelry shop where she hand-crafted every piece for 20 years. Now she’s a singer/songwriter.

Who’s to say writing was this author’s dream? She herself said it was “an experiment.” I have never referred to my writing as an experiment. I worked my way through the trenches as a copywriter, freelance writer, restaurant reviewer, and humor columnist, always aspiring to be the novelist I am today. I didn’t give up on any of those jobs. I enjoyed them. I learned from them, but I find ten times the satisfaction writing fiction.

Think of all the writers who left successful careers in medicine, law, marketing, etc… to write fiction full time. Did they quit? Or did they just decide those careers didn’t fulfill them?

Again, I think TRYING is the important part. Failing to try is the real tragedy. I admire people who try new things, who find joy in exploring all that life has to offer. If they choose not to stick with it, then I believe most often than not, it didn’t bring joy into their lives. And I think it’s admirable to have the courage to walk away from something–or someone–that doesn’t enrich you, strengthen you, grow you, or make you happy. Sometimes we hang onto those things that drag us down far too long.

By: Dumitru Sandru

Dumitru Sandru — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:05:59 +0000

When a writer (in this case for us writers) gives up because she/he has had it, it is like someone has past away. What keeps us going is hope. When hope dies we or our interests die. Why do we write? Because we have something important to say. Because we like writing just like some people like talking. Because we want to be important or make money, among many other reasons. What if none of our expected results happen? There comes a time when you have to re-assess the situation. Giving up after one book: you didn’t belong. Giving up after two books: you haven’t tried hard enough. Giving up after three books: wake up this is not easy, keep going. But what happens if you published five, six or ten books and you sell no more than the proverbial 57 copies? What do you do then? If you lost heart, quitting may not be the wrong approach. Going down with the ship may make you a hero, but a dead hero. Abandoning the ship, may open another chapter in your life. Who knows? It is wonderful to be successful and tell other people look what I did, you can do the same. It is tragic when you give up, but life goes on. You realize that 95% of all businesses fail within five years? Self-published writers are new businesses, and failure is part of the endeavor.

By: Sally Chippendale

Sally Chippendale — Thu, 02 May 2013 05:54:28 +0000

To have such strong feelings after quitting makes me wonder if it’s a choice that she will come to regret.

By: TLE

TLE — Thu, 02 May 2013 03:34:47 +0000

I’m sorry, Camille. This wasn’t meant to be directed at you. I also didn’t mean to sound quite so vehement.

By: Stuart

Stuart — Thu, 02 May 2013 02:54:46 +0000

PS Dean just responded on this matter and he verified what he says. But I don’t want to argue with you. I merely agree to disagree. I have to get back to work. Take care.

By: TLE

TLE — Thu, 02 May 2013 01:53:17 +0000

People change. The idea that you’ll always be who you are now is scary indeed. I quit for about 6 years once. I had dreamed about being a published author from the time I was 12 and one day I just said, I’m done. I was glad to do it too–the relief was immense. Life changed more. I changed more. And now I’m writing again and publishing. I’m not who I used to be, anymore than I was then who I was before. But the fact is, I could decide to quit again tomorrow and if that’s what I wanted to do, I’d hope a bunch of people didn’t sit around and talk about how terrible it must be for me. I’ll say again, when I quit the first time, I abandoned writing fiction for 6 years and I loved every moment of not writing just as much as I’m loving every moment of writing now. I don’t believe I’m less of a writer just because I’m not absolutely consumed by the need to do it. No one person experiences life the same as another. I enjoy writing. Obsession? No. The world is full of creative outlets. I occasionally wrote a few stories over the last two years, for fun, and then realized if there was ever a chance for me to make my living doing something besides a day job, self-publishing would be it. It’s worked out so far and I’m happy to be writing again. Would I have come back to it as anything more than a one-story-every-few-years hobby if not for self-publishing? Doubtful.

By: Stuart

Stuart — Thu, 02 May 2013 01:39:37 +0000

No that is not what he says friend. In DWS’s blog he states that he doesn’t want people to be fooled by all these writing myths that’s all. In another post (look up ‘think like a publisher speed’) he says over and over “each writer is different”.
Actually you are welcome to go over to DWS site at the link Barzun gave (ghost novel day 9) and ask Dean himself. I’m sure he would be more than happy to respond to you about what he means.