What’s the Bottom Line on Perseverance for Writers?

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

Perseverance ain’t fun.

That’s my three-word take on sticking with writing when it’s hard. 

Some of you are probably thinking, “That’s not exactly brilliant, Beth.” 

Hang around me long enough, writer friends, and you know I love quotes. What do other people have to say about perseverance?

• “Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), English writer

• “…hard works pay off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it.” Ray Bradbury (1920-2012), American author & screenwriter

• "Perseverance, secret of all triumphs.” Victor Hugo (1802-1885), French author

• “Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about.” Winston Churchill (1874-1965), British statesman

• “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” Dale Carnegie (1888-1955), American writer and teacher 

Those five quotes? I love ‘em. But I was straight-up honest with you when I said perseverance ain’t fun.

Other words for perseverance: determination, grit, resolution, stubbornness. 

Does any of that imply fun? 

We need to be determined, gritty, resolved, stubborn writers – pick your adjective – when we want to walk away from our work-in-progress. When the words aren’t flowing. When a contract gets canceled. When the reviews are few … or harsh. When real life intrudes with an illness or a death or a divorce … or all three.

Writing has been challenging for me for months – months that turned into years. I wrote some short nonfiction pieces in the last 18 months, but my fiction writing stalled out. Yes, I persevered. What did that look like?

I didn’t quit. 

Period.

Let me amend that statement: I prayed about quitting. Got a repeated no on that from God. I held on to his answer. Waded through some overwhelming life circumstances and waited for my writing life to be renewed. The good news? It’s happening!

Perseverance ain’t fun. And for me, perseverance involved praying and trying to write again and again, with my hope set on God. (Romans 15:13 NASB95)

What’s your take on perseverance?

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What’s the Bottom Line on Perseverance for Writers? from @BethVogt on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” She’s authored 15 novels and novellas, both contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Beth is a Christy Award winner, an ACFW Carol Award winner, and a  RITA® finalist. Her newest contemporary romance novel, Dedicated to the One I Love, released June 20, 2023. Her novel Things I Never Told You, book one in her Thatcher Sisters Series by Tyndale House Publishers, won the 2019 AWSA Golden Scroll Award for Contemporary Novel of the Year. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Learn How to Write a Novel and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people. Connect with Beth at BETHVOGT.COM.