WHAT IF YOU FINISHED?

By Elora Nicole: I almost didn't finish my novel.

I knew the ending and was well over 50,000 words into it, but the plot was too messy and I feared what others would say when they read it. I had never even planned on publishing it, but lately I couldn't get the idea out of my head.

But I didn't believe anyone would want to read it. Who would read a story of a girl prostituted by her father? I chose to believe the lie I'm just a messed up freak who writes about dark things. So I quit. I shut the manuscript away and let it collect dust on my dresser.

Until I heard Andrew Klavan at the STORY conference in 2010.

He spoke about playing in the pain -- not being afraid of the darkness, because in the darkness, we find the light. And the whole time he was on the stage, I sat in the audience with tears running down my cheeks because I knew I'd believed a lie.

I wish I could better describe the feeling pressing into my chest, that feeling of crashing into your purpose and realizing that you've been wasting a whole lot of creativity and energy with excuses.

I have a feeling, though, that you may know what I'm talking about here.

All of us have dreams. Those dreams are built around our purpose - what we're made to do - what's in our bones to do. And every single one of us faces a moment where we decide whether or not we'll go through with it. Every single one of us has a chance to either push forward or quit.

And here's the best news: even if you've quit, even if you've believed the lie that whatever it is you want to pursue isn't worth it or that people won't understand, there's always a second chance.

Today, I hear from people who've read the novel, and I have yet to hear anyone tell me I shouldn't have written it.

Your dream is worth it. You are worth it. Today, on No Quit Monday, dust yourself off and allow your ideas to percolate in your heart. What if you ran with it? What if you didn't give up and quit?