I’m afraid some of you might be thinking you need to be super aggressive in your writing or combative in your approach. That’s not what I mean. I’m not suggesting anyone’s writing need be pugnacious in style or tone. Your voice might be that of a timid dormouse, and if that works for you, that’s fine. You can be quiet and vulnerable and as long as you’re honest and fearless in your approach, it will be great. I’m talking about having a backbone to withstand the inevitable criticism that will follow. Someone is always going to have something shitty to say and you can’t take it personally. Ignore it and move on. Oh, you won’t forget it, but you can learn to move past it.
I have plenty of doubts, but they’re no longer about whether I belong. I’ve come to peace with that. If you’re struggling with self-doubt, rely on the old standby of faking it until you make it. Once you achieve a certain level of success, you are capable of being both confident and humble, because you know the work that went into it. You know that most of it doesn’t really matter.
I am out of my mind, which I think that comes with the territory of being an artist. I’m often thin-skinned and quick to lash out if I feel I’ve been attacked. I’m a bundle of nerves and spend way too much time thinking about what other people might think. But I’m also confident that I know what’s best for me and everyone around me.
I no longer worry that my writing isn’t good enough. I worry if spending all this time writing is worth anything at all. I’m like an aging veteran in the minor leagues. I’ve seen it all and my confidence is high, but I still haven’t made it to the show.