"I've learned, I've grown, I've honed my writing skills and feel a confidence I have never had before." Good idea? Not really... not for a writer. Could it be that I might become too confident, so much so that my big head won't fit through any publisher's door?
I asked myself that question several times and have come up with the ideal solution. If I begin to perch myself on that pedestal, I simply take out some of my very early pieces and read them. There is nothing like a good laugh to put me right back in my place. The
naiveté that bellows loud and clear in those old stories, now makes me cringe, but I wouldn't change a word. Why? Simple, they remind me of where I came from and what I once felt was the perfect story. More importantly, they show me that any story I write today will most likely be viewed years later as child's play. I'll laugh then, just as I do now.
If, as writers, we fail to see our own flaws, we most assuredly lose our edge. There is nothing more stagnant than a writer who feels he/she has nothing more to learn. Experiencing that hunger to achieve what I call 'writer's nirvana,' (penning the perfect story), is exactly what will keep us in check. Once we believe we have reached that high of all highs, we may be doomed to a very solitary, and unsteady place upon that pedestal. You can be sure that someone will come along and knock us off, whether an editor who tells us we need to stretch, or a publisher who says, "It's old news, give me something fresh."
How can we write anything fresh if we aren't driven to achieve something just out of reach? We can't.
It might be that a little insecurity can go a long way when it comes to writing, so I'll hang on to those old stories. I won't rewrite them.
They are my awakening!
All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2001
The contents of this article may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, or with intent to republish, without written permission from the author,
Sharzi Avins.
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