I heard a lady say the other day that you have to think positive. That
if you don’t think you can do something, you will never do it. She wasn’t
talking about writing, but I have heard the same thing said about writing.
Believe in yourself, don’t be critical of yourself, and that sort of thing.
I disagree. I think writers should always doubt themselves. Always
question themselves. Always wonder if the words they’ve just written are as
good as they should be. To always worry that what they’ve written doesn’t cut
the mustard.
That kind of “negative” attitude, I believe, spurs us to try harder,
to apply extra effort, and, ultimately, to write better.
If a writer is willing to go the extra mile, to never rest, to
bend over backward, to always challenge what’s on the page, that writer will
surpass the “I think I can” attitude of the little engine that could, and
become the writer who did.
And, did it better.
