Dear Writer, You Need to Quit
What to Keep, What to Quit, What to Question
Becca Syme
Copyright 2019 by Becca Syme. Published by Hummingbird Books in Bozeman, Montana.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment, nor is this book a diagnostic tool. This book is meant for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy (psychological or physical). Please consult with a licensed physician or therapist for medical advice.
In many instances, the authors named inside are meant to represent conglomerate experience, except when named for a specific case study. Client names have been changed to protect anonymity, except when specific permission has been given by the author for use of their information in print.
The trademarked terms CliftonStrengths and Strengths (along with the CliftonStrengths assessment and the themes of Strength are the property of Gallup, Inc., and use of the terms does not constitute endorsement by Gallup, Inc. or any affiliated coaches or persons. Being a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach does not equate to employment with or endorsement by Gallup, Inc, or any of its affiliates.
Contents
For Curt Liesveld, who first taught me to question the premise. You are missed.
Some of you picked up this book because, when you saw the title, you thought, Do I need to quit writing?
Some of you are here to see the dumpster fire for yourself. You also watch car accident videos on YouTube or the Real Housewives of something or other. I see you.
Or youre just curious. Who is this chick and why does she think I need to quit something?
And a few of you picked it up because you want ammunition to roast me for having the gall to tell anyone what to do. Go on. Ill wait.
But most of you are wondering what (if anything) you need to quit, and youre curious about whats inside this book.
So let me get the bad news out of the way.
Yes. Some people do need to quit writing. But chances are good, none of those people will ever read these pages.
If, by some miracle, you are considering quitting, and this book confirms that for you, please know this: it is okay to quit if thats whats best for you. Too many people will try to force you to keep going, despite your own feelings, despite potential burnout, despite a crowded market, despite the thousands of dollars youre throwing into your books and not making the money back yet despite maybe even your own desire to be done.
So yes, some of us do need to quit writing.
I hope thats not why youre here. You may have wondered if you need to quit, but deep down, you know thats not the problem. The problem lies elsewhereyoure just not sure where it is. This book can help to uncover that problem.
More likely than not, youre here to learn. If thats your goal, then you will likely fulfill it.
On one hand, I do want some of us to quit writing, for our own good. On the other hand, I also hope that the instruction to quit will create a rebellion deep in your soul if thats not your patha rebellion that gives me the proverbial finger and says youre going your own way. I would love that. However the fire stokes.
But there are some things that we all need to quit doing, especially if we dont quit writing. So if youve been looking for confirmation that its time for you to stop, then read this book first. Consider giving up the behaviors that are the source of your stress.
Then, if you still feel the urge, dear writer, you need to quit.
WHY BAD NEWS?
Ive been coaching for almost thirteen years (far past the 10,000-hour mark)thousands of people in corporate, non-profit, and individual settings, nearly two thousand of whom are writers. For the last three years, specifically, I have been teaching a class called Write Better-Faster which is a success alignment course designed for fiction writers, but it attracts creatives of all kinds.
In every class I teach, theres one lecture, fairly close to the beginning, where I give you the bad news. Because theres always bad news. Any class or book that doesnt give you the bad news is a ridiculous waste of your time because when bad things happen (and they will ), youre unprepared for the pushback and it makes you question the entire premise of the class.
My bad news is: There is no silver bullet.
Not only do silver bullets not exist (one shot of ammunition that takes down the monster is literally fiction ), but more specifically, this book is not a silver bullet. Its not a magic pill. Theres no piece of information youre ever going to read that will cure your problems forever. Ive coached thousands of people in my career, and let me tell you, each one of them who underwent transformation had to do the work to get to the better place.
Were all writers here think of the character arc. You write a book with a character in one place in the beginning, and you want them to be in a transformed place by the end. What happens in the middle?
STORMS.
Trials, tribulation, conflict. And a lot of hard work.
Eventually, they have to face their shadow and decide to be the best version of themself.
You write these stories of transformation all day long, every day, some of you, and yet you still expect your own journey of transformation to be easy .
Dont be stupid.
Im sorry to be harsh here, but stories are resonant because they feel true, in their core. Black moments are part of life. The bad news is, nothing will ever truly transform you that wont be a crucible.
Its going to be hard. Its probably gonna suck a lot. Stop expecting things to be easy. Thats an unrealistic expectation that will never serve you. It will only handicap you.
Lets release it now, before you start this book. Because if youre looking for a silver bullet, youre gonna be disappointed every time you end a class, finish a session, or close a book. This happens to you all the time, doesnt it?
You take a class, you have an epiphany. You know you need to do the work, so you make lists and plans and you get ready to change. And then that enthusiasm wears off. So you go looking for another book or class or coach.
Theres a pattern here.
Its not that you havent found the magic pill yet . Its that the magic pill doesnt exist . I wish I had better news, but I dont. Ive been to Mordor and back, and trust me, Sauron is real, and hes pissed.
And you have to take the ring, Frodo. No eagle shortcuts. No spells. You have to walk the path. Take a buddy, sure, but you cant say no to this journey, Katniss. Its the only way.
If you dont do the work, the change wont stick.
In the story of you, the silver bullet is the temptation. Not the resolution. Youre not going to learn something that will instantly transform you. You may learn something that catalyzes action, but if you dont keep that action up, youre never going to reap long-term rewards.
