believe

I had an experience this weekend that brought hope into my writing world.

I spend days lamenting over my plot, theme and overall story cohesion… I know certain things need to happen at certain times of the story. The problem was, I couldn’t wrap my head around it—it felt to complex—my brain couldn’t handle it.

I printed my book out, and read it from cover to cover focusing on “story” to the exclusion of everything else… I then sat down with my wife and daughter, both had read my book, and worked out the problems.

To my enjoyment, the problems were minimal… the key elements were there, I just couldn’t see it, or except that it was good enough.

It still baffles me that I can be confident in everything I do; except in writing. I need to be convinced that my writing is good, that my writing is “publishable”.

I am slowly begging to believe in what I put on the page, I am starting to believe in my craft… I am starting believe in myself.

I spent months rewriting and reading how to books… every draft fraught with another “how to book” and another rewrite. Well, that is the past; I move forward firmly believing in myself and progress through the practice of writing, on my own merit and aspirations.

I hope every writer comes to believe in themselves and what they do… if you won’t, who will?

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