In an exchange with a writer friend the other day, we questioned why someone who lacks self-confidence would choose to enter an industry typically NOT conducive to building self-esteem. Publishing is the industry in question. As she pointed out published writers are asking to be judged. We set ourselves up to be rejected. So why do we risk that?
Is it because we want to become rich and famous? I think not. Most of us are savvy enough to know that’s a needle-in-the-bookstack wish. Is it because we believe our work will save the world? If you write fiction, probably not. Maybe we just want to prove we can do it—to friend or foe or even ourselves.
But I think most of us who share our writing publicly are seeking acceptance. We hope to reach others who appreciate our efforts to tell a story. We hope to communicate. We risk rejection to find acceptance. There’s no other way to do it. You can’t succeed without risking failure.
So, though many of us may not seem to be, we’re braver than you think.
Linda Cassidy Lewis 
Spot on, Linda. I think we’re all hoping to live in a world of five star reviews where every reviewer is an articulate, discerning individual who just knows in their bones how good we are. Luckily, I think most of us are also realists who manage the balance or simply go underground and ignore it all. I’d like to think that’s what I do – manage the balance, that is – but I suspect there’s an inner voodoo doll labelled ‘nincompoop one star reviewer’ into which I stick psychic pins!
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I surprised myself, Suzanne, by taking reviews pretty much in stride—but I like that idea of an inner voodoo doll! 😉
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I think writers in general are absolutely braver than we think. I certainly wouldn’t be doing any of this if I didn’t have some amount of courage lurking inside somewhere. We’re just nuts for putting ourselves out there like we do. But I think it pays off. 🙂
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There are many days I wish I could summon more of that courage, Michelle. But once you get the taste of sharing your writing, you have to keep taking that risk.
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Actually…I DO write because I think I can save the world! Of course it’s not the present world for which I scribe my warrior pen (I’m neither deluded nor insane), but the fictional worlds I create. I acknowledge that I’m powerless in the real world; however, in my fictional worlds I’m omniscient! 😀 Nothing works better to boost one’s esteem than a good old-fashioned god complex. I’m joking of course. 😉
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Oh, DS, we all enjoy the power we have in our fictional worlds! 😀 Boost your self-esteem to the max!
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Oh we are brave all right! (Sometimes I wonder about that fine line between brave and stupid but I like to think I am brave) Thanks for the reminder!
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Yes, Darlene, remember we are BRAVE! 😉
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