Conquering the Monster of Self-Doubt

Sorry for the silence last week, but our house got hit with a nasty flu bug, and somehow I ended up with the worst of it. Ugh. But I’m down to only a few sniffles now, and trying to jump back into writing. I find it crazy how easy it is to fall out of a good habit (like writing every day) but how hard it is to break a bad habit (like napping every day).

Between being sick and having to get ready for the Boys’ birthday party next weekend, my writing time has been virtually non-existent this month. And of course, that’s given the evil, vicious, nasty monster of self-doubt (I call him Phil) lots of opportunity to whisper in my ear.

Fortunately, I have a great pair of earplugs.

Seriously, though, I came across this quote recently: “There’s a word for a writer who never gives up… published.” – J.A. Konrath.

And I am clinging to it as my talisman to defeat Phil. Because every final draft I write is the best thing I’ve ever written. Because it only takes one yes. And because I really do believe that it is only a matter of time until I get something published.

So, while Phil may be right that giving up would be easier, it wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying as finally seeing my name on a book cover. So I’ll continue to write, to revise, and to query until that finally happens.

What about you? How do you conquer your monster of self-doubt?

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