IWSG: Implementing Technique

Happy Insecure Writer's Support Group Day! The first Wednesday of every month is when insecure writers (or just people who want to keep in contact with writer buddies!) gather for a blog hop to talk about our insecurities as writers and other writerly awesomeness. If you want to join, click on the link.

Many thanks to our host, Alex J. Cavanaugh and his co-hosts this month:  JH Moncrieff, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Jen Chandler, Megan Morgan, and Heather Gardner!

This month's question is:

Did you ever say “I quit”?

If so, what happened to make you come back to writing?

I have never said "I quit". I spent years wanting to write and putting it off because I didn't have time. Once I made the serious effort necessary to move forward, I couldn't stop. Although the effort was serious, the result wasn't great. It was "okay" writing, just lacking experience. I wrote and self published two YA novels and a 3-novella YA series. I received some good reviews, mostly from friends, but the books didn't sell. When I go back and read them now, the newbie writing mistakes glare out at me. 

I didn't quit, but I started over.

Yep, I unpublished my books. It was tough stepping back (okay, more like several huge leaps back) after all my effort. But I started over. I'm working on a new novel armed with more experience and knowledge of how it's done. Even though I know the rules and tricks of the trade intellectually, technique isn't always easy to implement and perfect in the seamless way necessary to hold a reader's attention. 

But I have high hopes my new book will be better!

What about you? Did you ever quit writing?

Do you find it difficult to implement technique?