I met recently with a writer I've been working with for some time. He's been receiving feedback from our writing group for months. I know his story well — it's good. He's now working with a professional editor who loves the book and has given him a clear blueprint to take his draft to a polished manuscript.
When we sat down, he looked at me and said: am I going to put out something that's any good? Will anyone actually want to read this?
After all of that. After months of feedback, encouragement, and now a professional editor in his corner — he still wondered whether he was a real writer. Whether anyone would care.
I wasn't surprised. I've seen it before. But it's worth talking about.
Read all my thoughts here.