The Narcissitic-yet-Humble act of Publishing

Arguing with Myself



I sometimes wonder if every author goes through the same internal argument I do when getting ready to publish a new work.

It goes something like this: I say something to myself like, "This is the most brilliant thing I've ever done -- how can it fail?" Then about three seconds later I reply, "This junk is never going to go anywhere, is it you loser?"

I feel like Gollum in that scene from The Two Towers film where he's arguing with himself. It's kind of messed up.

It's true what they say, we can be our own worst critics. But at the same time we can be our own highest praisers. I doubt whether either of these options is healthy.

Not even the praise of close friends or loved ones can always change the course of this mental melodrama. "Oh, this was brilliant!" Someone says. then you respond, "Thanks... are you just saying that because your my mom?"

A Touch of Reality Helps

I think the key here is not to be too hard on ourselves while at the same time not to think too highly of ourselves either. I mean, you know how annoying it can be to be around people who can either  say nothing positive about themselves ... or who are so in love with themselves that you wish they would take a long walk off a short pier. Why be either of those people? Or worse, both?

In our own analysis of our work we must neither be too afraid to let our written work out into the open nor be too narcissitic with our work that it gets set loose before it is ready, before we have had a chance to cut and/or strengthen its weaknesses.

Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own

Find honest people who will read what you've written, analyze it and tell you what they liked and what they didn't, what worked and what didn't. And LISTEN to them for the love of all that's holy.

All three of my books (The Exiles Next Door, The New Book of Acts, and A Ghost of Fire) have had at least four different people proofread and edit. They brought four different perspectives and gave four different sets of observations. And that's what you want. You want variety in review.

I hope that helps.
Does it my Precious?
It does, it does...Gollum.

To read more of my writing:

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Purchase print books: The New Book of Acts & The Exiles Next Door.

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