never give up

Just a though for your Saturday night:

One of the most famous speeches ever given is 5 words long. During WWII, Winston Churchill got up to speak, and all he said was, “Never, Never, Never give up.” And then he sat down.

I want to send that on to all writers out there. Writing is often a roller coaster. You’re happy with this scene one day, and you hate it the next. You read a good review about your book, only to find a bad review only seconds later. You’re excited about querying, or you’re downright depressed with your writing as a whole.

Recently, I’ve known a lot of people who are querying (as I am myself), and I’ve seen all points of this emotional roller coaster. Sometimes I’ve been the shoulder to cry on, while other times I can moan to my friends.

As Anne Shirley describes it, you can be in the depths of despair. Just remember that bright times are ahead. If you are truly dedicated to your writing, then you can make those high points of the roller coaster outlast the low points — and you can rely on family and friends to get you through troubling times.

The road may be long and hard, with lots of winding twists and turns and steep hills. But just remember there is joy in the journey. Cherish those happy moments. And more than anything, always seek to improve. Make every book better — even if you’ve already published 20 best-selling novels, strive to make #21 better.

In short, never give up.