DESSERTS & DRAGONS
I gained an unusual amount of confidence in elementary school when I won a school-wide writing contest with a story about how I turned into a rabbit and discovered I was actually a bunny princess. In hindsight, I suspect there weren’t many entries, but at the time, it made me feel invincible. I continued submitting stories to various contests throughout my school years, and they kept winning these little awards. By high school, I had decided that writing was something I was not only good at but also truly enjoyed. That was when I made the decision to become a published author one day. Fifteen years have passed since then, and I’ve written countless full-length manuscripts that never saw the light of day, but I’m here now because I kept at it and gained all that invaluable practice.
I believe that even the most fantastical world needs a tether to reality so readers can relate to it. Whether it’s a personality trait or flaw in your protagonist, the way characters measure time, or an aspect of their technology—these elements help ground the story. It also determines your audience: those who relate best to your work are the ones who’ll gravitate towards it. For example, in my story, magic mirrors become an uncontrollable form of communication. I drew inspiration from my own obsession with TikTok and how it has influenced our world, politics, and interpersonal relationships. Mixing commonplace elements with fantastical concepts is the foundation for world-building, but the possibilities are endless when it comes to creativity.
Impostor Syndrome stems from a lack of confidence. At some point, you need to stop comparing yourself to others and realize that if you’re in the room, you’re qualified enough and meant to be there. I earned an English degree with the hope of getting published one day, but I kept waiting for that perfect book idea to come to me. Eventually, I stopped envying people who had books on shelves and realized that the only difference between them and me was that they took the chance on a story and pursued it. That was the confidence boost I needed. Some writers get discouraged when they come up with a story idea only to find that something similar has already been published. Instead of seeing this as a setback, they should recognize that if readers liked that book, they’ll likely love theirs too!
The publishing industry really tests a writer’s confidence. There’s still a negative connotation that authors who aren’t traditionally published aren’t “real” authors, as though their books aren’t as good—even if they’ve spent hundreds of dollars on editors and cover designs. The truth is, if someone is paying you for your work, you’re a professional author. Having an agent and a publishing house choose you is an immense validation, but so is seeing your book on the shelves at Barnes & Noble, where I used to sit and dream of someday seeing my own book for sale. Now, people all around the world are reading and ordering my book. How cool is that? If you’ve written a book and put it out into the world, you’re part of the community. You’ve done something amazing. You’re not an impostor—you’re an author.
Write. Finish the story. You’re not a writer if you don’t write. Keep your head down and grind it out. Many aspiring authors get ahead of themselves by worrying about the business side of writing or marketing—these are hurdles you’ll face much later, but they don’t matter if you don’t have a finished manuscript to work with.
Another piece of advice that’s crucial: not everything you write needs to be published. Like any art form, you’re not going to sell your first painting, your first knitted sweater, or your first blown-glass vase. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good story. Writing requires practice, and that often means a lot of editing and rewriting. But if you start now, that perfect version will come much faster than if you wait for perfection.
