where the writers are Crisis of confidence  The hardest part of
writing, for me, is dealing with a recurring crushing lack of
confidence.  You'd think that I've been here enough times
before, I could just get over it.  It shakes me every time.
See, whenever something good happens -- something sells, gets
nominated for a prize, receives a good review -- I always
attribute that to luck.  I'm lucky that day.  Whenever something
bad happens -- losing an award, getting a rejection, not hearing
any response -- I take responsibility.  It's my fault because
I'm not good enough or didn't work hard enough or lobby the
right people at the right time.  Success is attributable to
someone else, but failure is all mine.  Now, with the publishing
industry teetering all around me, I'm finishing a novel.  It's
passed the first hurdle already:  my agent liked it enough to
ask for some changes.  If I make those changes to her
satisfaction, she'll handle the book for me.  I know that's not
a given thing, since she rejected my la