I’ve heard many famous actors, artists, and musicians say the same thing every time they go to perform. They’re ready to throw up or can’t imagine going on. But somehow they do and it becomes their happy place. If it’s not your happy place once you’re out there, there’s really no reason to be on stage.

I’m an insane introvert, but I can speak to large groups. I’m probably more of a performer than I care to admit. A closet exhibitionist, if you will. But I don’t really want to talk to you after the show. Praise is always nice but unpredictable, and the rest is just tedious small talk.

Did I ever have doubts about my abilities? I did not. That sounds arrogant and it is. I’ve had confidence in myself since I could think. I just thought I could figure it out, and I did. But after having a lot of professional and financial success, I feared that I might have been wasting my life. That’s where doubt enters my life. I spent so many years making other people rich and wasting my best creative years on nothing. There’s no way to get that back.

You become a better writer by writing. Not only is there no other way, it’s so beautifully simple that it’s almost a crime. You just write every day. You also need to read a lot. Reading is not diversion or escapism for a writer. It’s not downtime. It’s research and inspiration. It’s the fuel. But don’t just read the things you want to write. Expand your intake because you never know where it will take you.

If you can tell an authentic story from your heart without too much embellishment, someone in the future just might be interested in what you have to say. Worst case scenario, your sanity remains above the waterline, and you live to fight another day.