by Lynn H Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn

I’d like to tell you a little story . . . I promise it’s relevant . . .

Over the past few months, my family has had an unprecedented amount of illness and minor injuries combined with insanely hectic schedules. So much so that I’ve missed an insane amount of time in the gym. Where once I had been consistent, I found myself struggling to make it even once a week, and often missed a couple of weeks in a row.

Then something happened.

I was cleared to go back to the gym, but when I looked at the workout I cringed.

A 1-mile row followed by a 1-mile run followed by 4 minutes of weighted plank.

Shoot.Me.Now.

I went anyway. My plan was to row slow and to walk if I needed to.

I didn’t need to.

Don’t get me wrong, my running would be more accurately described as a slow slog, but I ran that mile. Every step of it.

When I got home, I realized how remarkable it was. Not because I’m fast or because that workout was a super challenging one.

But …

When I started CrossFit, I wouldn’t have been able to finish that workout. I realized that during the past few months, if I had quit completely and just said, “I’ll get back to the gym when I know I can be there consistently,” I wouldn’t have been able to do that workout, either.

But I didn’t quit.

No, I didn’t get there as often as I wanted to.

No, I’m not as strong as I would be if I’d been able to be consistent all winter.

No, I’m not where I want to be.

But I’m still in the game.

You may be wondering what this has to do with writing.

Stay with me.

I wrote my first novel in 2009. Attended my first writing conference (the wonderful Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writing Conference!) in 2010.

I read books on the craft, I attended writing groups, I started blogging, I wrote more fiction.

Then I had another baby.

And for the next three years, well, all I can say is this…I didn’t quit.

No, I didn’t write as often as I wanted to.

No, I’m not as prolific as maybe I could have been.

No, I’m not as far along in the publishing journey as I’d hoped to be.

But I stayed in the game.

I blogged when I could. I worked on a new novel (very sporadically). I met with a critique group. I kept learning. I tried not to beat myself up when I couldn’t do anything for months at a time—and there were a LOT of times when I couldn’t.

Then in 2014, I entered another contest.

This time things were different. My kids were a little bit older (I entered the contest the month after my youngest turned three). I was actually sleeping through the night (never underestimate the creative power of a full night of sleep). And I found that even though I hadn’t been as consistent as I’d imagined I would be back in 2009, I was a much stronger writer.

I finished the book.

I sold the book. And then two years later, I sold another.

It’s 2018. My third book released in March. The fourth is scheduled for November, and the fifth for July of next year.

It’s not because I’m anything special. There are better writers. There are more consistent writers. There are many more prolific writers.

The main thing I’ve had going for me is that

I didn’t quit.

I don’t know where you are in your writing journey, but I know many writers start out strong and then life happens. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, but either way we find our writing aspirations put on hold. I want to encourage you to hang in there.

You may need to set aside your dreams for publication for a season. That’s ok.

You may not write a word for months or years (moms and dads of littles—I’m looking at you!), but you can keep learning, keep reading, stay connected with writing friends. Do what you can, when you can. Stay engaged.

Don’t neglect your family, don’t neglect your work, don’t neglect whatever it is that God has given you to do right now, but if He’s also given you the dream of writing words that people will read…don’t quit.

And if you do, or if you have . . . know this.

It’s never too late to start again.

So what about you? Have you quit writing? Come close to quitting? Let’s talk about it and encourage each other!

Grace and peace,

Lynn H. Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She’s passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don’t make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in South Carolina with her true love, Brian, and their three children. Her first book, Covert Justice, won the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel. Her second book, Hidden Legacy, released in June 2017 and her new Dive Team Investigations series kicks off in March of 2018 with Beneath the Surface. You can follow her real life happily ever after at www.LynnHBlackburn.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.