Fantastic blog post, saw on…

I'm a writer. Although I'm also many other things, my soul is a writer's soul and to quit would be to erase myself.

I also feel that the writing is a gift I was given (I've been aware of this gift since I was six) and I owe it to the Universe to honor it, no matter how much work or how long it takes — because gifts are meant to be shared.

I also do rescue work — I have a dog and horse sanctuary saving large dogs (the ones least likely to be adopted from the kill shelters) from euthanasia and horses and donkeys from slaughter.

My dearest dream is to publish my novels and further fund my rescue efforts now and in the future.

I'm sure if I approached writing and publishing from the standpoint of fame and fortune, then quitting would be a real threat on Query Road.

Instead, each morning I greet nickering, prancing horses and smiling, wiggly-butt dogs so happy to see me, and to be alive. I could never quit on them.

Hands down, Query Road is one of the hardest roads I've ever traveled. The lessons are plentiful and sometimes fierce, but the journey has made me a better person AND a better writer. I think that's as good a prize as publication.

Remember that I don't want to return to editing and rewriting other people's books for a living.

Re-read something I wrote that I really love.

Read a good book, take a walk, play with my dogs.

And realize, finally, that writing is what I do – it's ingrained in me, and I could no more not write than not breathe.

I can't remember a time when life was easy, but if I give up now it's like I'm admitting to the world that I can't make it.

I've been on the edge many times: on the brink of truly succumbing to something terrible and adverse. Fortunately, I don't have enough motivation to kill myself. But I seem to be completely capable of sitting here waiting for death.