I don't mean belief in a deity, but belief in yourself and your abilities.
As writers, we take a lot of hits. Harsh critiques from our peers, rejections from editors and agents, negative reviews, etc. And it's easy to get discouraged, to feel like you want to give up. But that's the worst thing you could do and that's where a strong belief comes into effect.
If you don't believe in yourself or your work, no one else will either.
It starts and ends with you!
So, you better believe!! Now please bear in mind that too much belief can lead to arrogance and illusions of grandeur.
Believe and be confident, but be reasonable, too.
I love this, it's so true. If we don't believe in ourselves, we'll just quit. For me it's a roller coaster of ups and downs.
ReplyDeleteI think it's that way for just about everyone. It's hard to stay positive sometimes, but I firmly believe it's a way of life. Live it and it will be ;-)
DeleteCouldn't agree more with you Kara. It was self belief only that i survived post partum depression to emerge as a winner in a recent blogging contest. Loved your post.
ReplyDeleteHey, i am waiting what you think of my post on letter B and C in the school of motherhood.
Best,
The Sinhas at No 302 sinhasat302.blogspot.in
Good for you! I got sidetracked a lot yesterday. lol. I'll head on over and catch up on your posts :-)
DeleteI agree! It takes a lot of guts to put your stuff out there and when you do, it takes a lot of positive thinking to stay positive. As authors, we're often misinterpreted and many times take other people's opinions personally. One thing I always remind myself is that you can't please them all. Just keep writing. Eventually you will find your fan base, your agent, or whatever it is you're seeking.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
That's an excellent point - that you can't please them all! Another I've learned is never to write for what other people want and don't write for the market. Write for yourself. Tell stories *you're* passionate about because those really are the best kind.
DeleteThanks for stopping by :-)
Great advice, Kara. The first few times I hit the send button on a query letter, I was terrified. Later on, as I began to receive positive feedback, it became a lot easier. I was confident that my work was good and that I would find the right place for it eventually. I'm thankful that place turned out to be Anaiah Press.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Linda
I love your thoughts. My first year doing A to Z I did a similar post on Belief. I hope things are going better for you today. Life happens and sometimes you can roll with it and sometimes it rolls you over. Hang in there.
ReplyDelete