A fear of failure is not all that rare

cj Sez:  I once saw a TV interview with James Patterson andlearned that his first novel was rejected thirty-one times before it waspublished. Even after publication, it didn’t do all that well. Fortunately forhis fans, failure didn’t discourage him. 

  So, where did his worldwide success come from, besideshaving some natural talent for story telling? What he did was set aboutlearning and analyzing the genre he wanted to write, so he could become thebest writer he could be. Like most authors (I think the generalization is true),he started out writing part-time because he had a day job. Now, he writesfull-time, every day but Sunday. His books have sold millions of copiesworldwide.
  From bios I’ve read, many, if not all, successful writers havesome fear of failure, especially at the beginning of their careers. Perhaps theyget an idea they’re excited to develop. The words flow like magic onto thepage, but the farther they get into the writing, the more they start tosecond-guess their story-telling abilities. Doubts creep in: Someone’s already told this story, better.No one is going to read this drivel. It’ll never sell.   If you want to reduce your chances of failure, study thecraft: workshops, conferences, writers’ groups, read-read-read,analyze-analyze-analyze, and publish a professional, well-edited book.
  I also suggest that you write for yourself first. When you’rethe only one you have to please, it reduces the writer’s block stress of arrangingcoherent sentences into a story arc on a blank page.
  What was the first thing you wrote? A poem? A memoir? Alittle piece of fiction? If you’re like me, you kept it and every once in awhile, you resurrect it and wonder, “Not so bad." or "What was I thinking?”
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Author and Reader Notes

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4Questions to Strengthen Lean Manuscripts | Jane Friedman   This recent guestpost on Jane Friedman’s blog is by LisaFellinger, an author, book coach, and editor. She says: “I have a smallconfession to make: I’ve never been told I need to cut words from mymanuscripts. In fact, I’m the author envious of anyone who needs to do sobecause I’m the one struggling to get my manuscript up to my target word count.”  
(cj sez: This is so me, and I thought theremight be some of my readers also struggling with what I call “tight writing.”)
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“Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal characteror advance the action.” KurtVonnegut
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  Since authors are also readers, this applies to everyone: Thereare three simple ways to encourage and support authors without spending anextra dime.
  Like, comment, and share authors' Facebook posts. Facebook'salgorithms show only posts that FB thinks other members would like to see. Thatmeans the more likes and comments a post gets, the more people will seeit. (Psst: The same process works for Amazon.)
  Take a few moments to give the book you just read a fair review.If all you can manage is one or two sentences, no matter because it will bedeeply appreciated.
  Go to book signings. in-person or virtual, even if you can’tafford to buy the book at that time. Your attendance is encouraging.
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School started in Mobile this past week. Don’t know aboutthe students, but the teachers were fully involved.
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  Okay, that’s it fortoday. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raisingprayers for a happy and safe you and yours.

cj
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  Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 
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