next few weeks, I learned something about myself; I am a writer. It's impossible for me not to write, despite my strong conviction to the contrary.

Story ideas, characters, even scenes flooded into my head

I quit. After one too many rejection letters, I'd had enough. I marched into my office, gathered up all the paper copies of my manuscripts, tossed them into a raging fire, and cried.

Cried! Heck, I sobbed so hard I gave myself a wicked case of the hiccups.

Not my finest moment but one that, if you're a writer, you've probably experienced at some point. Even if you didn't respond to your feelings of despair with a manuscript bonfire, you probably had the same thoughts of, why exactly do I do this?

For my part, I vowed that this was the end. I would never write again and I would never send my existing manuscripts to another editor or agent. I'd wasted too much postage, money, time, sweat, and tears on a dream.

This, my friends, is a dark, lonely place to be. Never had I felt such coldness in my heart.

Over the next few weeks, I learned something about myself; I am a writer. It's impossible for me not to write, despite my strong conviction to the contrary.

Story ideas, characters, even scenes flooded into my head u

so hard I gave myself a wicked case of the hiccups.

Not my finest moment but one that, if you're a writer, you've probably experienced at some point. Even if you didn't respond to your feelings of despair with a manuscript bonfire, you probably had the same thoughts of, why exactly do I do this?

For my part, I vowed that this was the end. I would never write again and I would never send my existing manuscripts to another editor or agent. I'd wasted too much postage, money, time, sweat, and tears on a dream.

This, my friends, is a dark, lonely place to be. Never had I felt such coldness in my heart.

Over the next few weeks, I learned something about myself; I am a writer. It's impossible for me not to write, despite my strong conviction to the contrary.

Story ideas, characters, even scenes flooded into my head

h a manuscript bonfire, you probably had the same thoughts of, why exactly do I do this?

For my part, I vowed that this was the end. I would never write again and I would never send my existing manuscripts to another editor or agent. I'd wasted too much postage, money, time, sweat, and tears on a dream.

This, my friends, is a dark, lonely place to be. Never had I felt such coldness in my heart.

Over the next few weeks, I learned something about myself; I am a writer. It's impossible for me not to write, despite my strong conviction to the contrary.

Story ideas, characters, even scenes flooded into my head

to another editor or agent. I'd wasted too much postage, money, time, sweat, and tears on a dream.

This, my friends, is a dark, lonely place to be. Never had I felt such coldness in my heart.

Over the next few weeks, I learned something about myself; I am a writer. It's impossible for me not to write, despite my strong conviction to the contrary.

Story ideas, characters, even scenes flooded into my head

next few weeks, I learned something about myself; I am a writer. It's impossible for me not to write, despite my strong conviction to the contrary.

Story ideas, characters, even scenes flooded into my head unbidden. What did I do with these snippets? Wrote them down like the trained monkey I am.

Soon, I was writing again on a regular basis. Writing is habit I can't break, no matter how hard I try.

Another rejection arrived in my mailbox yesterday. This time there was a hand written note on the side of the standard form letter. It read, "You are a very talented writer, and I know you will sell this manuscript. It's just not for me. Keep trying."

Today, I mailed my first query since I officially quit writing. I walked to the mailbox with the reverence of a mourner at a funeral. When I opened the mouth of the blue postal box, I hesitated and wondered if I really wanted to put myself through all this again. Then I remembered one of my favorite sayings by Korczak Ziolkowski, the sculptor who created the Crazy Horse Mem