is what we need.
"To create one's world in any of the arts takes courage."
"Success takes more than talent. It takes a kind of nerve…a kind of nerve and a lot of hard, hard work."
~ Georgia O'Keeffe
I have found that the only thing that ever truly keeps me from writing is confidence in myself. And a gun pointed at my head. And crocodile teeth around my leg. And starvation. But mostly confidence.
When I was younger, I wasn't all that confident, but I loved writing enough to keep doing it. Any time I did have trouble happened when I lost confidence in myself or my story. Currently, writing doesn't bring the same blinding joy as my teen days, so keeping the stories coming is even harder. Confidence is harder.
A friend of mine named Jack LaBloom once left a message on my blog that gave me hope: "The only thing that can stop you from succeeding is lack of confidence in yourself. The magic is still there, but it requires these words to bring it forth: I am a writer; it's what I do."Not everyone is born and nurtured into confidence. Sometimes we have to strive for this trait to bring it forth. Make time for yourself to write. Saying you're too busy is a lack of confidence. Evaluate that dwindling manuscript and run, limp or crawl to the finish line. Aborting a story that seems hopeless is a lack of confidence. Maybe your story won't be good. In fact, it might STINK. But at least you're writing. At least you're trying. At least you're still a writer.
No one can write what you can like you can. So don't give up.
