You'll see a lot of articles and essays by writers who tell you to believe in yourself. Do that, they say, and you'll have a much better chance of success in the writing world.
I agree but would also add that you'll enjoy your writing journey more if you truly believe in your ability to be a writer. With belief comes self-confidence. The more of that you have, the better writer you can become. You'll be willing to venture into writing spots you might have shied away from previously, to tackle writing projects you might never have thought you could do.
I have two short stories to tell you about the power of believing in yourself. Many years ago, a writer in my town told me she had this great idea. "Let's put on a conference for mystery writers who write small town mysteries." I looked at her like maybe she'd been drinking a bit too much or some wire in her brain had come loose. Marilyn kept floating the idea to me and to others in our small critique group. Most of us thought a town of 50,000 population could not put on a conference that would draw writers from all parts of the USA. Marilyn persisted until she had convinced the group to give it a try. She believed the conference would be a success, even with the many Doubting Doras on her committee. We worked hard on every facet of creating and running a conference, still having reservations. Long story short--it happened and was so successful that it repeated for a few years. It happened because Marilyn believed in herself.
Another writer friend has dealt with health issues for some time. About a year prior to her 80th birthday, her doctor made the declaration that she would not live to see her 80th birthday. She didn't snivel and cry. Instead, she told him that, yes, she would see 80. She began a countdown to that day in April when she'd hit that magic number--magic for her. Her friends noted the days that went by, too. There was no hesitation on her part. She believed she would celebrate that birthday, and she did. Her health did not get miraculously better, but neither did it get worse.
It's obvious to most of us that having that belief in self is a big factor in accomplishment. The bigger thing is how do you get it? One way is to work on achieving a positive attitude in all things. No Negative Nellie is going to believe in herself. People like that are more apt to put themselves down at every turn in their journey. You can train yourself to think positive. Whenever a situation comes up, pick out the good things first. Make them your priority. You can develop a habit of searching for the good.
You can also keep a list, mental or real, of the positive things that have occurred as you move down the writing path. Don't tell me that there have been none. Every one of us has some pluses in our writing life. If you think there are none, open your eyes and look again. No matter how small, add to your list. And be proud of those good things you've done.
Believing in your own ability as a writer is something no one else can give you. They might, however, be of some help if they compliment you on some aspect of your writing. Even so, it's you who must be the believer.
The first year of the conference I referred to above, I was the person to welcome the group and to introduce Marilyn--the woman who believed. I asked if those present remembered the movie Field of Dreams in which a man believed in doing what seemed impossible. Marilyn, I told the audience, had a belief every bit as strong. I said, "All of you sitting here this morning are proof of her belief." As Marilyn came to the podium, she received a grand reception from the audience. As for me, I went to my seat with a great big smile.
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