Doubts

Is it possible to talk yourself out of things? Is it possible to do everything in your power to muck up your opportunities?

In some respects I think it can. There are plenty of people who get the requests after pitching or submitting and never send the requested material in. What?? You may holler, how could they give up their chance.

Well it’s quite easy really. It’s called self doubt. It’s those demons inside your mind that tell you you are writing crap. It’s the voices that say the editor is going to laugh at your efforts and wonder what the heck they could have possibly seen in you in the first place.

But the thing is don’t beat yourself up about those voices. What you need to do is beat them down. You need to look at every positive comment you’ve received from an editor in a rejection letter (yes they are there you just have to look with open eyes, not hurt eyes). It’s there in the contest comments where you may not have finalled but, something struck the judge to give you a high score.

Most importantly you have to believe in yourself and your abilities. An editor wouldn’t ask for more if they didn’t believe. So step on those doubts and take that step out of your comfort zone and submit, submit, submit.

NF