Are you a failure?

Writers are often, by nature, an introspective lot.

Navel gazers.

I would guess that many have a reasonably poor self image. This is compounded by depression, something some well-known writers and many not-so-well-known writers suffer constantly from – or at least periodically.

A sense of failure as a writer can be only a fleeting thought away. A regular barrage of rejection letters from publishers fans the flames of feeling a failure.

Consider then this quote from Ashleigh Brilliant:

You’re never a total failure while someone believes in you – even if the only someone is you.

Believe in yourself.

Hard to do when you are feeling down.

Hard to do when you are feeling rejected.

Hard to do when failure looms strong in your mind.

The Magic of Momentum

A writer who has a sense of failure also lacks momentum. Momentum is interesting. It takes a huge amount of energy to get a train moving, but once it is moving it takes far less energy to keep it moving. It seems as if momentum creates an energy of its own.

Start writing – and keep writing. It may be just rubbish at first, but eventually the momentum of the very act of writing creates its own energy. Then the creative energy is released and the words begin to flow. Get those blog entries posted. Send out those poems or stories to publishers. Keep writing, writing, writing.

And when a negative comment appears on your blog, or a rejection letter comes from a publisher, they’d better get out of the way. This ol’ train’s gonna crash right through them.