Believe In Yourself

Today our nation celebrates Martin Luther King Day. I saw a quote of his on facebook this morning which can apply to to many things in our lives. It figures easily into our writing lives, too. 

When a writer is hit with an inspiratin for a story, he/she never knows where it is going to go. Will it be a piece of fluff that never sees the light of day outside his/her own computer? Or might it be the best thing ever written by that writer? Will it end up dying in a file somewhere, or will it be published and perhaps even become an award winner? 

When we sit down to write a story, essay, article or poem, we have no idea what will occur, do we? But we take that first step with the faith that, if it's meant to be, our story will be ascending that unseen staircase to publication and recognition. 

Note that the very first step is writing the story. After that, it's an unknown but I do think that the writer can help the story move up that staircase step by step. It means revising, editing and then doing it all over again so that it is the very best quality possible for the person who wrote the story. 

Next, find a good fit with story and publication. Look for publishers that mesh with your work. It means a lot of time spent studying the guidelines and past issues of magazines, newspapers, and books to find a place that would be appropriate for your story. Then submit!

After that, it's out of your hands. You still can't see the whole staircase, but you've moved up several steps already. Hope and faith now come into play. And that eternally distasteful waiting game. 

Have the faith in yourself to take that first step. Write the story!