Three Words I Live By

Writer: Joe Congel

Never. Give. Up. These three words, when looked at separately, are really not that compelling. But when put together, they become one of the most powerful phrases this writer needs to hear. They become the first part of a sentence that, when I add the word ‘writing’, conveys a thought that reminds me of why I wanted to write in the first place. How many times have you had a great idea for a short story or a book only to let the evil thoughts inside your head cause you to procrastinate or, worse yet, totally give up on breathing life into that great idea? It’s happened to me many times. I have a huge file on my computer stuffed with unfinished great ideas.

Recently, I revisited that file to remind myself what was in there. It’d been accumulating for so long I’d forgotten what was inside. Reading through the partially written stories and the pages with just a germ of an idea on them reawakened the possibilities of what I truly had. Some thoughts squirreled away in there weren’t half bad. Others needed a lot of work. All were ideas I believed could blossom into amazing works of art. So why didn’t they? The simple answer is that I gave up. When attempting to form those ideas into stories that someone would want to read became hard, I let those evil thoughts stop me from trying. The minute it became frustrating, I put it away for another day. A day that never arrived. I allowed everything and anything to delay getting back to writing. Not because I don’t enjoy writing. I do. It’s one of the most cathartic things I do in my life. When I’m writing and it’s going well, it cleanses my soul. But writing isn’t an easy process. If someone tells you it is, they’re lying to you. It takes careful thought to put the right words together to form a good story. And that takes time.

I hear other writers talk about all the stories in their heads that they have to get out through their writing. They say they need to write no matter what. Honestly, that’s never been me. I came to this writing thing late in life. When I was younger, I wanted to be the next great cartoonist to hit the comic pages. The first time the thought of becoming a writer even crossed my mind, I was in my forties. I didn’t act on it until I was fifty-eight. But once I started, I have not been able to stop. That doesn’t mean that occasionally I don’t think about giving up. For me, the process of writing can be challenging. It can be exasperating and aggravating at times. I’m also a slow writer. It takes me forever to get the words the way I want them on the paper. And after everything is finally the way I want it and I’ve put it out there for all the world to see, it can be extremely disappointing when it feels like the world doesn’t want to see my masterpiece.

The last couple months have been eye opening for me regarding my writing habits and my frustration level because of said habits. I’ve had a lot of things that legitimately got in my way over the last few years, but that’s in the past. Those things are no longer obstacles. Now that I’m semi-retired, I’m able to better schedule my writing day. But I came to be a writer by choice. It was never a calling for me, so if I let it, that disappointment and frustration that occasionally hits all of us, would be an easy-peasy reason for me to quit. But I’ve realized that I don’t want to quit—That I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Who knows? Perhaps writing’s been my calling all along and it took me sixty-three years to recognize that fact.

There’s a note taped to my computer that reminds me to Never Give Up. It helps keep me on track. Three simple words. Strong words. Helpful words.

I’m currently knee-deep in finishing the fourth book in my mystery series and I’ve started writing a book for a multi-author mystery series to be released later this year. I’m also reworking a few of those filed away “great ideas” into something yet to be determined. I’m so glad I didn’t delete that file of abandoned thoughts, unfinished stories, and ideas.

Not giving up feels really good.

About the Writer

Joe Congel loves a good mystery. It’s what inspired him to become a writer. He is the author of The Razzman Mystery Crime Files series, starring Tony Razzolito, PI. Deadly Passion, book 2 in the series, recently won a 2022 SpeakUpTalkRadio FireBird Book Award in the crime fiction/hardboiled category. He has written three books in the series. Book four, Best Served Cold, will be released at the end of March 2023. When Joe is not writing, he can be found spoiling his three grandchildren.

Website: joecongelfictionstories.blogspot.com