Of all the words that describe Moke, my fourteen-week-old English Cocker Spaniel, spunky would have to be right at the top of the list. He is absolutely unphased when his three-year-old brother, Misha, who is easily ten times his size and seven times his weight lunges at him. He knows it’s mouth-wrestling play and so do I. Nonetheless, the sight of those mature teeth and the sound of the growling and barking brings out the protective mama in me. But the little one could care less. He dives right back into the fray, even when Misha’s sister, Harley, decides to join the skirmish. He may get tumbled around at every turn, but he pops back up, tail wagging, and yip-yip-yipping, ready to keep at it and rumble.

As writers, we need that same kind of spunky tenacity because we sure take plenty of hits.

When I worked as an associate editor for the Ladies’ Home Journal, those hits came from the magazine’s senior editor and editor-in-chief. And, yes, I can confess to crying in the bathroom more than once.

As a freelance journalist, the hits came every time an editor rejected—or didn’t even bother to respond to—an article query.

As the author, co-author, and/or ghostwriter of ten books, the hits would sometimes come from the publishing house’s editor. More often, they were self-inflicted, the result of not being satisfied with my latest effort.

The fact that my writing and editing career has lasted more than forty years has everything to do with the fact that I keep going after being tumbled around. I may not wag my tail, but I remain ready to rumble. I keep at it, celebrating the victories, consoling myself for the failures, and giving myself whatever motivational pep talk I need to hang in there and keep going.

In a recent article, singer-songwriter John Mellencamp listed his “7 Tips for Living Your Best Life.” Number five was to keep at it. He writes: “Usually I have to write about a hundred songs to get a good one. Painting is the same way. You’ve got to keep slugging. The problem with most people is that they quit too early.”

So, the next time you’re tempted to quit, remember Mellencamp. And remember a tiny nine-pound puppy who’s always happy to rumble no matter how tossed around he gets. Then, keep at it.