On being confident ...

http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2009/02/confident-or-delusional.html


This blog post by J.A. Konrath on the difference between being a confident writer and a delusional one is awesome. I never thought that much about how confidence can be a quiet, not obvious quality within yourself. I have spent countless solitary hours learning and writing. I have tried to connect with with other writers (so I could learn some more) and when I see their talent and experience, my confidence level goes a little like the stock market has lately. But yet, according to Mr. Konrath, the fact that I take suggestions, go back to the writing, do it countless times again, learn from my mistakes (hopefully) and still stick with this job - probably for the rest of my life - means I'm confident that someday, someway I will get published. And that's what J.A. Konrath says is the key to becoming published. Not luck and talent alone. You need to be confident enough to persevere.

I've been writing for six years. I never thought of myself as a patient person but when it comes to my writing, I guess I am. And while I don't think of myself as a necessarily overly confident person - at least with respect to my writing (let's not get into all my writing self-doubts, people) - I guess I am - because I am willing to learn, re-think, re-do, and, most importantly, KEEP GOING. Don't get me wrong, I still need validation - what writer doesn't? I get that from my CP, from my agent and from some really lovely editor rejections. That helps. But true confidence about my writing and my stories? The fuel that keeps my writing engine running? That can only come from me. And the fact I haven't given up must mean I am confident that I have a voice, have a story to tell that will see publication. Because, honestly, if I wasn't confident why would I put up with six years of toil and tribulation and over a million words that have yet to see the light of day? All those hours in front of a computer screen, scribbling in a journal, jotting notes and ideas down in the middle of doing laundry could have been spent doing hundreds of other things. But the fact that I didn't must mean something.

Okay. So, I guess I'm confident.

Or really stupid ...