More Words, More Reasons Not to Quit

Finished my chapter of a cozy mystery collaboration, about 1100 words. Then began work (opening scene of 1100 words) on Confessions, the third and final episode of this particular AJ Rakowski, Psychic Detective series of thriller (which also features a franchise homicide detective, whom I can reveal later this month or next). I think I mentioned that the first two stories, Abductions and Beatings were accepted for publication by the creator of the franchise, so that's super exciting. I'm hoping this next one is also a winner.

At any rate, a productive day, I think.
New words today: 2,200
So far this month: 18,300

Now let's look at two more of Konrath's points on quitting. His intent is not to discourage anyone from writing, but is trying to paint a realistic picture of how difficult breaking into this business can be.

• You want to be a writer, but spend all your time going to classes and researching, but never get any writing done. 
• You could live without ever writing again. 

I realized a few months ago that writers write. If I'm not writing, I'm not a writer. Or, as Dean Wesley Smith has said numerous times, an author is one who has written a book, but a writer is one who, well, writes. ;) I don't want to be an author. I don't want to spend all my time researching or taking writing workshops (as important as those are). I want to get some writing done. And so I am.

But today's second bullet point is a little more difficult to dispatch. Konrath says to go ahead and quit now if you could live without ever writing again. I suppose if this point were limited to one genre or style or even fiction in general, I guess I could live without writing. But the truth is, I've been writing my whole life - maybe not stories for publication, but in so many ways my default mode of communication is via the written word. So, no, I really can't live without writing.

More next time. Thanks for reading. Feel free to share your perspectives.