The HEA Cafe

Psst, come here.  Come closer.  I’m about to tell you the secret to success.  Do this one thing and all your dreams will come true.  Well, maybe not, but I bet they will more times than not.
What’s the secret?  Believe in yourself.
Too easy?  Just look at the best selling book, The Secret.  According to it, your positive thoughts can attract money, health and happiness.  Do I necessarily buy into the theories presented in this book?  No, but I do believe that a lack of self-confidence can keep you from having the successful writing career you want.
The most common result from doubting your own ability is that no one ever gets to see your work.  If you don’t believe that you are a good writer, you’ll never send that story to that contest, that agent, that editor who could read it and realize you are the next great thing.  A less common, but just as debilitating, result is that you don’t trust in your talent enough to push harder, dig deeper.  Your story won’t be as strong because you just don’t have the faith in yourself that you can write it and write it well.
I’m the first one to raise my hand and say that I’m guilty.  I don’t always believe in myself the way I should.  I think, at some time, every writer goes through a period of doubt, but you have to work through it, you have to believe in yourself, you have to remind yourself of all the work, all the sacrifices you’ve made so far.  Do you really want to give up and have that all mean nothing?  Even the bible says, “as a man thinketh, so is he” (Prov 23:7).  Think of yourself as a successful writer.  See your dreams, your goals, coming true.
Keep believing, keep reaching and, most importantly, keep writing.