Writing is a joy. It’s an amazing way to bring things into existence that would otherwise only exist in our minds. It’s the closest we can come to imitating our creator God, and I believe He loves it when we strive to be like Him. After all, we were created in His image, right?

But there’s a disturbing trend in the writing industry. I’m watching my writer friends left and right experience burn-out at increasingly faster speeds. And I’ve heard more than one despair that they should just quit. I’d be  lying if I said similar thoughts haven’t crossed my mind over the past six months.

Here’s what writing used to be. A person would work really hard for years, perfecting their craft and writing their novel. They would slave hours upon hours editing those words to a brilliant shine. They’d send it out to agents and publishers hoping to get someone interested. Eventually…success! Someone sees potential in the work and takes it on. The book is published. The reading world recognizes what it means for someone to slave over a book and what it means that a publisher has confidence enough to present it to the world. They respect the author for their hard work.

Let me repeat that last line. They respect the author for their hard work.

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