Respect

    Having stories is a funny thing; sometimes it's a lot like the way we writers are with ideas. One day (usually right after finishing a big manuscript) we don't have a novel-length story to tell, and we're looking high and low to find one; but on other days, when we do have a fabulous story to write, there are a dozen other shiny story ideas, all screaming to be written immediately! And as much as it'd be awesome to dive into writing them (particularly when a severe case of writers' block has struck with the current work), it can't be done because there just isn't enough time.
     Alas, there's no remedy that'll magically enable us to ignore other ideas for just a little while, or grant us super-speed-writing to make the wait for the next project shorter. But there is something that can definitely help us cling to the story we've made a commitment to working on: respect. Having respect for the gift of writing, and respect for the story itself.
    Showing something/someone reverence doesn't just mean to think of something as amazing and wonderful; it can also mean having a deep understanding of how important it is and being unwilling to brush it off as common. Respecting a person means paying close attention to what they're saying and not glancing at your watch to see when you can take your leave. Respecting the gift of storytelling would probably include making quality time for writing and not going about it with a "ho-hum" attitude. And respecting a story (particularly the one currently being worked on) would mean not forgetting what potential it has to be fantastic, giving it time and focus, and sticking with it until it's finished.
    Being able to have this kind of respect is great not only because it helps us keep working on the story to the end, but because the ability to respect something is a really strong character aspect. It makes us better as writers and as people!
    So what are your thoughts? Has respect for writing or the story itself been the vital thing that's ever kept you from giving up?