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Self-doubt is a cold in my head that won\u2019t go away. No dose of medicine, therapy sessions, pep talk, meditation, glass of wine, long meandering stroll through the neighborhood with my dog will vanquish it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you write, it\u2019s likely you know the mantra: my work\u2019s awful, who\u2019d want to read this, it\u2019s hopeless, I can\u2019t do this, I\u2019d rather clean the house, the car, bathe the cat\u2014anything but commit precious hours to the page and waste even more time than I already have on this novel, story, essay, poem, etc. Even seasoned novelists, widely published authors stare in terror at the blank page. Anne LaMott devotes an entire essay to \u201cShitty First Drafts,\u201d writing, \u201cI know some very great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made a great deal of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident.\u201d At least there\u2019s comfort in knowing we\u2019re not alone in our insecurities, even among literary rock stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It seems unlikely that the flip side of self-doubt isn\u2019t super-confidence. I believe it\u2019s the feeling that I must write, that my psyche will wither and die if I don\u2019t commit words to the page, that I\u2019m as compelled to write as a gambler is to spin the roulette wheel, stack all he owns on a pile of chips and potentially lose it all on a dream as ethereal as air. It\u2019s the nagging sense in my brain that my life\u2014though blessed with family, friends, good health\u2014will lose some of its meaning, its beauty if I don\u2019t park myself in front of the laptop or sit for an hour with pen in hand and write something, revise that scene, that essay, that poem. It\u2019s the feeling that something profound happened\u2014a hurt, a tragedy, a triumph, a moment will be forever lost and must be set down on the page\u2014and my life, my being, will be infinitely better for having written about it and maybe even shared it with someone\u2014or no one\u2014but the act of writing it down will have done my soul some good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, the self-doubt nags at my brain like an un-scratchable itch. Comparisons are useless. Jealousy\u2019s a motivation-stealer. The only thing to do is put it out of one\u2019s mind and set words to the page. It\u2019s like stretching before a run. I may not make it to the finish line uninjured or in record time, but if I keep going forward, step-by-step-by-step, however faltering, however many rest stops I need along the way, eventually, I\u2019ll get there. I may not win first, second, or third prize, but I\u2019ll have crossed that finish line, and that alone will be cause for celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Writers, whether you\u2019re a professional, an aspirant, or a hobbyist, if the craft is your calling, I hope that Everythingaboutwriting.com becomes your cheering squad, your go-to source for inspiration, reference, community, and advice. I\u2019ll do my best to guide you as you follow your unique path towards publication or put the end-stop on whatever project you\u2019re working on. I\u2019m on this journey with you, and I know how steep those hills can be. Together, we\u2019ll wend our way through the dense woods, better for beginning, persevering, and, when the stars and our efforts align, publishing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Self-doubt is a cold in my head that won\u2019t go away. No dose of medicine, therapy sessions, pep talk, meditation, glass of wine, long meandering stroll through the neighborhood with my dog will vanquish it. If you write, it\u2019s likely you know the mantra: my work\u2019s awful, who\u2019d want to read this, it\u2019s hopeless, I … <\/p>\n