Why you shouldn’t stop writing

We’ve all been there. That moment where you wonder if writing is really worth the effort. (Actually, it’s not a moment. It’s several moments, days really. And it happens multiple times. So don’t think it will only happen once.) Writing a book is a labor of love. It takes a long time and no one pays you for your early efforts. No one even appreciates them. Years go by and you don’t seem to be any closer to publishing your book.

Or just as bad, you are published and your book dies a quick, unnoticed death.

And don’t get me started on reviews.

But here’s why you shouldn’t quit. As you keep writing, you’ll get better. This point was brought home to me yesterday when I got a comment on one of my earlier doll wrecks posts. (Doll Wrecks, the first blog)

One of the doll artists found my blog and left this very gracious comment:  I can look back at my work from 2008 and am happy to have progressed from there. There is a lot to learn and the art is consistently evolving. It has been such a nice journey and I hope that any new and upcoming reborn artists don’t stop your craft.

Here is a picture of her reborn doll (the second one she’d ever made) that I used on my blog. I may have said (in a totally supportive and lighthearted manner) that it looked like one of those celebrity mug shots where someone is being dragged off to jail for drunken behavior. Okay. I’m sorry. Really.

But here, after years of practice is her latest doll. (I found it on her facebook page while I was apologizing to her.) Amazing, right? This is why you shouldn’t stop writing. Eventually your manuscript will stop looking like a drunken celebrity. (The metaphor sort of stopped working, but you know what I mean.) You can see more of Lalani’s work at Adorable Bundles Nursery