Tip #21: Value Your Work

Some very quick words of advice which apply not just to authors but anyone involved in a creative industry.

Yesterday, two things happened. One was great: I got engaged. The other was bad: my USB stick snapped in half (possibly due to nerves associated with the former). This has thrown my writing off due to a folder saved on that memory stick entitled “WIPs”.

That stands for “Works In Progress” and included a chapter of my draft novel, saved nowhere else. It’s not the end of the world, I can try to get the device fixed or re-write the chapter. But it got me thinking.

If you’re drafting a manuscript at the moment, perhaps for NaNoWriMo, how highly do you value your work?

“It’s just a draft.” “It might never get published.” “Pretty cheap.”

That’s an easy attitude to take until something goes wrong, but it’s also the only copy of your work in existence. Have you ever thought that you might be producing a rare manuscript? Even rare items often have several copies.

You’re works in progress do have value. The fact that they haven’t been published, read or even finished adds to that value. Use that knowledge of your work’s worth as motivation to keep creating.

If nothing else, learn from my mistake and save to multiple devices!