Nathan Bransford - The Forums

As writers, we're always experiencing the crushing, debilitating weight of some terrible thing that comes with our chosen profession, exacerbated by our own self-doubt. One day it's knowing if what we're writing is sellable, another day it's really knowing what to cut, and tomorrow maybe it's giving up something good for the extra time to write. Often it's the lingering question, am I good enough? How do I know?

We face these terrible things every day. Sometimes we win. Sometimes we don't.

So today I want you to sit yourself down, look yourself square in the eye, and tell yourself what you need to hear right now. You already know what's wrong and what you've got to do to beat it, it's the listening to yourself that's so damn hard. Because if your writing isn't working, then how can you trust yourself to know how to fix it?

Now's your chance to be straight with yourself.

Amen....Hiiiiii-Yah (spinning back kick)!

Just finished watching a documentary about Francesca Woodman, a photographer from a family of artists, and it reinforced how hard it is to put yourself out there. I don't think self-doubt ever really goes away no matter how much success and recognition one gets. It just pops up beside you some days and you have to let it tag along until it gets bored and leaves you alone. Or give it a spinning back kick...