Recently a friend sent me a panicked text message about her work-in-progress. She said something like, “Do you ever think your manuscript is just awful, and wonder why you ever thought it was a good idea in the first place? What if I’m just a girl with an idea, and not a real writer?”

Inevitably, sometime during the writing process, I experience crippling self-doubt about the particular project I’m working on, and my skills as a writer in general, but I have to put those feelings in a box and keep going.

Once upon a time, every writer was just someone with an idea. That spark of inspiration will only transform from idea to reality if we are willing to do the work, stay the course, and learn as we go along.

“The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it.” - Kalpana Chawla

In other news, I’ll be at Tampa Bay Comic Con from August 2-4. In addition to signing books all weekend with fellow RI authors Heather Rigney and Mike Squatrito, I’ll be presenting on several panels. Here’s a look at my schedule:

Saturday 1:30-2:30 room 22 - World Building 101

Saturday 4:30-5:30 room 5 - Feminism in Fantasy and Sci-Fi

Saturday 9:00 - 10:00 pm room 22 - Geek Out!

Sunday 12:00 - 1:00 room 22 - Scene Building Basics

Sunday 3:00 - 4:00 room 22 - Exploring Real World Conflicts in Other Worldly Settings

For more info on the Con and details on panels and programming, you can follow the link here: Tampa Bay Comic Con.

And last but not least, here’s a little furry happiness to help start your Monday off with a smile. Yennefer loves helping with blog posts!