9 Writing Quotes on Persistence

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In: The Writing Life

Welcome to the Writing and Wellness annual “writing quotes” round-up!

Below you’ll find the best quotes from the authors featured on the site this year.

This is the ninth year I’ve put these together. They’ve all been popular posts and I love how they capture certain overarching themes in the writing life.

You can view past quote pages at the following links:

This year, writers talked a lot about health and wellness, marketing, and the importance of having a writing community. Above all, they spoke about how critical it is to persist and never give up!

“Live first so you have something to write about! And persevere. It takes talent, which you can develop and train, but perseverance will be the most important quality to get your work published.”
~Julie Weston

“For me, the real secret to writing is that you have to write for love, because writing for the sake of the story is the only motivation that stays the course. There are much better ways to make money or gain recognition. You have to love what you’re doing and find it worth doing for its own sake, or your motivation fails.”
~Christian Klaver

“How do I prevent myself from completely succumbing to imposter syndrome and quitting?

Sometimes I do think about quitting. But then, what would I do with myself? I’m not really that good at much of anything else – terrible cook, for example, faint with fear when I have to make presentations, once tried to throw a sewing machine out the window, and if I had to sell something to make a living I’d starve. At least I’m halfway good at writing.

I can’t NOT write, it seems. So, I say to myself, “Well, I’ll just write this thing, and won’t worry about sending it out.” Once it’s written, though, I say to myself, “Well, I spent all this time writing it, I might as well send it to a few people.” After 79 “no’s,” I do play mind games and say to myself, “Well, it only takes one ‘yes.’ I’ll try one more.”
~Lisa Williams Kline

“Don’t be scared to start writing…just get words on the page. Like anything else, writing is a skill and takes practice and work. You won’t be a NYT Bestseller with your first draft of your first book (or at least most people aren’t) so be prepared to learn the ropes and put in that work, because it will be worth it!

Invest in resources, listen to podcasts and read blogs on things like show vs tell, character arcs and all the details that polish your work to stand out.

But most importantly, don’t give up. Create the path that works for you.”
~Kristi McManus

“Go to conferences, online/virtual events, speak to other authors, and do your research. And stay positive! Do not let self-doubt cloud your ability to fulfill your dream. You are good enough. Your story does need to be heard. And you do have an audience for it.”
~Dana Claire

“I almost gave up multiple times in those years—there was no guarantee the book would ever be published and I questioned my sanity at times for continuing to pursue a dream that seemed so impossible. But I knew I wouldn’t be happy with myself if I got to the end of my life and I hadn’t written and published my novel.

Lots of rejections and near misses later, and after I’d dramatically announced to my family that the book was dead, I decided to query SparkPress—and they accepted me.”
~Robin Maass

“Sometimes I get so caught up in market and trends, that I forget to write for myself. The best writing I’ve done has always been the stories I’ve written for me.”
~Brielle Porter

“If what you do is a direct expression of who you are, then you have to become good at navigating change. No matter how you see yourself and what you identify with, one thing is certain. Today, you are not the person you were yesterday or the person you will be tomorrow. Letting go of what used to be will allow you to step into your new chapter.”
~Yota Schneider

“Success in writing takes time and perseverance. Keep honing your skills, building your network, and sharing your work. Stay dedicated to your craft, and don’t let discouragement deter you from pursuing your dreams. Remember, the journey to becoming a successful writer or artist is unique for everyone. Stay true to yourself, be open to learning and growth, and embrace the ups and downs of the creative process.”
~Gary McAvoy