“Giving up is the only sure way to fail.”
~ Gena Showalter
Perseverance. It’s an interesting word, don’t you think?
As writers we have few qualms about putting our characters in situations that require a great deal of it. They need that dogged determination to overcome those black moments and obstacles that make a story compelling. Through dialogue and narrative readers get to share the journey, explore the resilience of our characters and do it all from the comfort of a favorite chair.
By and large, we writer’s tend to throw a lot at our characters. We try to keep the tension and action tight-rope worthy and the stakes high from page one until the very end. Why? We want a good story. 🙂 It is a challenge to keep the plot, the characters and all the sub-text spinning in the world we create. It is gratifying when we write the final chapter and know we have done our best to tie up all loose ends with our characters and our readers get to exit the story with the promise of a HEA.
But, let’s not forget the most important part of this. Without a writer’s perseverance, that single-minded resolve that keeps us sitting at our computer day after day, none of this would happen. What isn’t evident to most non-writers is the hours spent at a computer, the time carved out of our busy day with surgical precision to spend writing.
Being a writer is a demanding occupation, its damned hard work even on a good day. We give up family time, social/fun activities and, in many cases, sleep while we do our best to make a story come alive. We deal with the frustration of words that fail to adequately evoke the emotions we are doing our best to describe, the dreaded writers block that attacks out of nowhere, and story lines that fizzle for no apparent reason.
How many times have you wanted to throw up your hands and quit when confronted with yet another rewrite? When you have written yourself into a corner and now have to figure out the best way to get back on track? Me? Countless times. There have been instances where I will spend weeks avoiding my computer, convinced I will never write another word, but it is a losing battle – I always end up back in my chair and picking up where I left off. It is a compulsion, a creative outlet and an absolutely exhilarating roller coaster ride with all the highs and lows.
I love it and sometimes hate it with equal passion, but I persevere. It’s what I do. I wouldn’t have it any other way. 🙂
kyliewolfe.com 
As a freelance editor I often feel the brunt of a writer’s frustration. I am also a writer so I can understand where the frustration comes from. Perseverance is one of the best traits that a writer can possess. Other good traits are patience and understanding that the editor is not your enemy. I try to foster a relationship with my writers where I am more a writing coach rather than some strict school disciplinarian with my big red Crayola marker with which I am going to scribble all over your precious manuscript. If the writer is frustrated and not finding the correct words (or uses too many, one of my many faults as a writer) I help the author to find the correct words. Good luck writing it is fun and a pleasure but can also be frustrating and nerve wracking.
Being both a writer and an editor definitely puts you in the position to understand both ends of the spectrum 🙂 I learned a lot the first time I worked with my editor. She took the time to explain why she asked for changes, pointed out strengths and weaknesses in my manuscript and helped me polish my work. It was painful, enlightening and required a great deal of perseverance for us both! Thank you for stopping in and sharing your experience!
Kylie, you have done such a good job of capturing and portraying the seemingly uphill battle writers face for the love of the craft. It’s amazing the strength of the perseverance it takes to make your way to the end of the story. But I’m glad you keep writing.
Thanks, Gemma! I think any writer can relate to the sheer determination it takes to craft a story. I don’t think I have ever met a fellow writer who has said writing was easy 😉 We help each other along the way with encouragement and understanding and that helps tremendously, don’t you think? Let’s climb that hill and celebrate!