Dipping My Toes…

Having scribbled, jotted and generally tinkered with words all my life, I have finally submitted a manuscript and had it accepted by a publisher. Eek.

In truth, I feel less like I’m dipping my toes into this new world and more like I’m plunging headfirst into an icy lake.

I think I’m experiencing a touch of the so called ‘imposter syndrome’ which was somewhat compounded by attending a book launch by a very impressive new author. I found myself thinking,

“I’m not sure I can actually do this…”

I shared these thoughts with a friend a few days later and she helpfully told me she wanted to slap me. This lead me to think of the famous Henry Ford quote:

“If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.”

Sitting around being scared and thinking that I can’t do this is not only unhelpful but will lead to inevitable failure.

This lead me back to my ‘why’. Why do I write? My answer is that I write for enjoyment. I write of magic and places I would like to explore. I write stories I would enjoy reading and if a few other people enjoy those stories too - great.

So I’ve given myself a good talking too (as did my friend!) taken a deep breath and am wading forwards into the icy water. I will embrace this journey and all that comes with it. I can do this!