What to do when you have self-doubt?

For me, personally, I know I'm absolute crap at writing queries, and yet I know I have a brilliant story/stories that are worth publishing.
To me, I'm a writer and not a door to door salesman; I'm not a whore who sells her wares, as that's what I equate querying my work to.

I never feel like giving up, but I've always approached it as a hobby. Some people are lucky enough to make money from their hobby, but most don't. I just want to enjoy the ride.

My weakness is mainly that I never finish what I start. I have so many WIPs! I also don't think very highly of my narrative style.

What I do is: I stop writing. I get discouraged, realize I might never get any kind of positive reviews (not even from friends and family) so I stop. Then, it becomes unbearable to not write and I start again.

Sometimes you just have to let go for a while *shrug*

I worry - a lot - but I keep going. For know, the doubt doesn't outweigh the possibility, y'know?

I sometimes wonder if there isn't too much of an information overload when it comes to queries. We start regarding them as the mythical golden ticket and trap ourselves in this endless loop of trying to hit the magic formula.

Pamster, have you asked for help with your queries on here? That's what I've been doing all this week, and thankfully I've had one person who gas stuck with me and is making me get the best parts of my story out. All I've got to do now is arrange it into a really GOOD whoring, oops, query letter!

I eat chocolate.

Lately, I give up every other day. I will always write because I enjoy the process but I've resigned myself to possibly never being published. If I am never published, however, I will consider myself to have failed. Therefore, I keep trying, even with the limited time I have to write, revise and query. I do not want to have failed.

I just wait for the feeling to pass. It always does. That said, it's not easy to wait out, and don't mean to imply that it is. That's just the only thing that's worked for me. Acknowledge the feeling, but don't wallow in it and let it get you down.

Keep trying.

Query writing is a difficult task for many writers, because it requires a new mindset. You have to stop thinking like a writer and start thinking like a salesperson. What do you want to see in the query that would make you ask to read more? Kristin Nelson blogged about this recently, and she has an entire series of blog posts on writing the query pitch. Start here: http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2007/10/pitching-and-all-that-jazz.html . The rest of the series is linked in her sidebar.

The query hook should only go up until that first crisis of action (which should also happen somewhere around page 50). You don't have to try and summarize the entire plot. You don't even have to summarize half the book.

I had self-doubt out the whazzoo, Pamster. I don't think the feeling ever goes away, because we writers who seek publication write for an audience. And there's always that fear that we'll disappoint our audience. It can make you doubt yourself, and having Real Life issues only compounds that doubt. Don't listen to the devil on your shoulder--next time he starts saying it's hopeless, smack him with a rolled up magazine.

I just remember how fabulous I am.

But seriously. I ask myself what the alternative is. Giving up. Not an option. So I keep going.

Sometimes I read crappy books and say, "If this can get published, why not my book?"

Chocolate works too, though.

ChaosTitan said:

Query writing is a difficult task for many writers, because it requires a new mindset. You have to stop thinking like a writer and start thinking like a salesperson.

Click to expand...

I tend to agree with this (but then I've done a lot of business writing).

I find it helps to think of it a bit like a cover letter you'd write for your dream job - only adding in elements of your storytelling.

Why they should be interested (your pitch paragraph/paragraphs(s) that hook them), what you can offer (word count, genre, what sets your book apart from others in the genre, why people will want it), and why you feel you would be a good match for the agency/agent (the part which shows you've done your homework).

scarletpeaches said:

Sometimes I read crappy books and say, "If this can get published, why not my book?"

Click to expand...

Ohhhhhhh yeah. Been there.

I don't think there is a committed writer alive who is free of self-doubt. Seriously. You, however, are a step ahead of most of us: you have doubts about your ability to write a query letter, not about the writing of your WIP itself. So you win!

I do one of two things when the doubts coming sliding my way. I write through them, the old BIC trick. Or I wait for them to slide by. As Kathleen said so perfectly, "the doubt doesn't outweigh the possibility." I think that's perfectly expressed. And when you add in the uncontrollable urge to write, then doubt diminishes.

As for the advice on Pubrants, I am reminded that all advice is just that, and often conflicting. Kristin's notion that your query needs to be like the blurb on the back of your book has been challenegd time and again on AW. Who is right? Don't ask me. All I can say is, when you query Kristin, do it the way she likes.

MarkEsq said:

As for the advice on Pubrants, I am reminded that all advice is just that, and often conflicting. Kristin's notion that your query needs to be like the blurb on the back of your book has been challenegd time and again on AW. Who is right? Don't ask me. All I can say is, when you query Kristin, do it the way she likes.

Click to expand...

Her way worked for me.

Query letters are hard. They are an entirely different kind of writing, in my opinion. Instead of telling a story, you're selling it. You have to encapsulate so many things into so few words. It's not fun.

Don't let query letter hell undermine your confidence in your writing. Just like learning the skills to write a good book, though, you have to cultivate good query letter-writing skills. It sounds like you've done your research. Critiquing others' helps. Reading other critiques helps.

I often find myself stuck with my queries. How to convey the right voice? How to make those few paragraphs sound compelling? How to leave out so many important details and still have it make sense?

Take a break from it, then come back and hammer away again. Rinse. Repeat. I sometimes suggest people write their query letter as if they were their MC, writing to a friend or making a quick journal entry (full details to be filled in later). Anything to push you out of your mindset and try a new approach, hopefully with the end result of making the query more engaging and effective.

Self-doubt, eh? With the exception of loud noise and the sensation of falling, everything we learn from birth is taught to us. If you have self-doubt somebody taught it to you. Find that person and tell them to mind their own damn business!
C
Anyone who says the sky is the limit has a limited imagination. ~Unk.

MarkEsq said:

As for the advice on Pubrants, I am reminded that all advice is just that, and often conflicting. Kristin's notion that your query needs to be like the blurb on the back of your book has been challenegd time and again on AW. Who is right? Don't ask me. All I can say is, when you query Kristin, do it the way she likes.

Click to expand...

Exactly. If an agent has sample query letters posted that they say worked for them, obviously send one along in that vein. I've noticed those examples often differ from what I would like to see. I wish more agents posted those examples. It's the best insight you can get to approaches that might work for that agent.

I took a look at your query and your story opening. I am posting in this thread since my advice applies to both, as well as your frustration:

You have 2 major issues that if you address, will improve your writing a great deal, and will increase your chances for publication:

1. The old adage "Show, don't tell". I don't like this phrase, because it has become trite and doesn't convey enough information to be useful to someone who doesn't understand it. Let me briefly explain what it means.

In your query letter, and in your novel's opening, you have a fondness for using narrative summary. "Show, don't tell" really means, "Do not use narrative summary and description for important scenes, emotions, and developments." Many people on this board take that advice too far and go too much in the other direction, "showing" everything in their writing. But right now, that's not an issue in your case.

As of this writing, this website has some pretty good explanations and
examples about "learn to show instead of tell":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show-not-tell

Retrain your writer's "ear" to break yourself of this habit.

I would advise focusing on issue 1 for a while. Don't get discouraged. It is fixable. And by telling you this, I am saving you aggravation, form rejections, and SASE postage. Your writing will improve considerably once you master this essential principle and understand it.

Once you have mastered principle 1, then yes, the next issue with your book is:

2. Finding a market and packaging your book appropriately.

A book without a market is like airline luggage without tags. It goes nowhere. Rather than debate the fairness of this, I will just say that for 99.99% of people, it's the case.

Talk to some people on this board who specialise in young adult books. Find out what the "rules" are for that category, and make sure your book follows them. Each genre has guidelines about its length, voice, tone, ages of the characters, themes, amounts of violence, language, etc. The rules for middle grade (MG), young adult (YA), and adult books differ.

Good luck.

Pamster, there's an online editor who will give your query a going-over. I'll PM you about it.

Yes, it's the Evil One!!!!

When I get frustrated, I move on to something I KNOW that I'm good at, to get my confidence back.

Sadly, there's no money in heavy drinking and masturbation.