on Live Write Thrive:

Ask 100 writers what their greatest asset is and you’ll probably get 100 answers—from 25-hour days to a trust fund.

But look at the careers of some of the greatest writers and authors and you’ll find one common link.

Stephen King famously pinned every rejection letter he received to the wall with a nail—until the nail fell off when he was 14 and he replaced it with a spike. Carrie, his debut novel, would be published when he was 27.

While George R. R. Martin already saw some success as a short story and TV writer throughout the 70s and 80s, it wasn’t until 1996 that the first book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series would be published—changing fantasy forever.

Ursula K. Le Guin, who wrote more 20 novels, 100 short stories, and a dozen volumes of poetry, had a writing career that spanned nearly six decades.

Beyond their love of speculative fiction, it’s tenacity that brings these writers together. Whether you’re a young writer who’s still pumping out short stories waiting for that first publication or a veteran who isn’t sure if you still have stories in the tank, you should see tenacity as your greatest ally.

Here are 4 ways to do that.