A bit of motivation for hesitant writers

The writing journey is a tough haul. There will be more failures than successes. More gloomy days than bright ones. More worry and angst than confidence and guarantees.

This is part of ordinary life anyway, but for creatives, the imbalance among the good, the bad, and the ugly can be ruinous. Creatives tend to cast shadows of their own making upon their work, convinced they are talentless. Then they quit.

The worst reaction is to let fear get its claws in you and stop you from pursuing your dream.

During one of my gloomy stints, when fear had ripped apart my confidence, I considered what my life would be like if I quit. This wouldn’t be the first time (been there, done that, got the T-shirt), but I saw no other choice.

Writing wasn’t turning out the way I’d thought it would, and I could only stand on that burning path to my dream so long before I turned to ashes with it.

That’s when I stumbled upon a writing opportunity. I wouldn’t have considered it twice, except I had a story that fit the requirements, and what else could I do with it? It was already polished and waiting for its turn, like a pair of dancing shoes. Might as well send it out and see what moves it had.

But the fear hovered right over this decision. What if I fail? Then what?

No one ever made their dream come true by not trying. (I'm sure someone famous said that too, but it's solid-gold fact.)

I hit the send button and waited, while fear leered at me through the dark wilderness.

My story won first-place and then my poem was selected for a digital event

Fear had me, but I outwitted it with simple, old-fashioned DETERMINATION.

For those of you who are writers at heart, always give your writing one more chance. No matter what scares you along your journey. Always, one more chance.

Because you never know when you’ll hit your mark.