In 2007, Pulitzer Prize winning author Annie Dillard told NPR listeners, “I’m here to tell you that I’m retiring. I woke up one morning, went to my desk, and realized I’ve done everything I set out to do as a writer, and the writer label does not define me, and I have more life to live, but I am done because I did my work on my terms.”

Does Dillard’s declaration stir something in you? Inspiration? Exhilaration like a zing of electricity? A soul-satisfying exhale?

Maybe it’s time to quit.

And by “quit,” I mean . . .

Before we move on, my little lemon drops, let me define “quit.” I’m talking about letting go of your pursuit of publication. No more queries. No more proposals. No more stalking agents. No more pouring over every issue of PW. (And no, I’m not talking about never writing again. Yikes. Writers, by definition, have to write. It’s a given you won’t give that up.)

Queries about quitting. (You can be totally honest. You’ll be grading your own paper.)

1. Has my passion to be published–needing validation from the publishing industry, reviewers, readers–changed/diminished since I first began my pursuit?
2. Do I neeeed to be published to be happy?
3. Am I persisting in my pursuit solely because it pleases someone else or out of fear of displeasing them?
4. Does the thought of setting my pursuit aside make me feel lighter, maybe even a little excited? (If it makes you feel full-on giddy, go ahead and quit already!)
5. Can I be satisfied with writing for my own pleasure and/or with helping others improve their writing?
6. Is my pursuit of publication keeping me from a new passion?
7. Do I want to invest my creative energies doing something wholly apart from writing? What might that be?
8. Would I see my decision as a liberation rather than a resignation?
9. How about a 6-month or 12-month “hiatus” from my publishing pursuits versus a full stop retirement?
10. Am I comfortable with not knowing what might have been?
11. What will my new dream be? How and when will I begin?
12. How will I see myself on the other side of my decision to quit?

Next steps

• Take your time and ponder. Seep into a head-to-toe mull.
• Journal over your responses to the 12 questions.
• Reach out to a friend who can listen while you deliberate. And remember, I’m always here too.

The purpose of my post is not to discourage you from pursuing publishing. Honest. No one’s pushing you. (Go ahead. Look behind you. See?) I’m offering you the freedom to let go, if that’s what you really want to do. And, you should know I (and many others, I’m sure) will never quit admiring you and valuing you. Heck, some will even envy you.

Success does not lie in sticking to things. It lies in picking the right thing to stick to and quitting the rest. ~ Annie Duke, Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away