I started off the year talking about why you should cultivate trust in your writing practice, and trust has really become one of the core tenets of my editing philosophy. I want to make sure that my writers feel confident placing their trust in me, of course, but I also want to encourage them to make trust a foundational part of every aspect of their work, whether that’s the writing itself, their interactions with readers, or the way they present themselves as an author.
Most of us couldn’t have predicted what 2020 would actually look like, but I think this year has really showed us how much we need to trust ourselves and what we’re capable of. I know it hasn’t been an easy year for anyone, and it’s mostly been about trying to keep our heads above water. (And you are here, which means you managed it. That’s worth celebrating.)
If you were able to keep writing and producing during this pandemic, then you’ve already been relying on your trust in your words and your abilities to get you through. If writing has had to take a backseat with everything else going on, when you do start writing again, draw on the knowledge that you already have about how to do it—trust that your strengths as a writer are still there waiting for you. They’re just muscles that need a little exercising, and muscle memory will kick back in once you get going.
I had these stickers made for my clients as a year-end thank you and as a little reminder:
Trust that your story has value and is saying something important.
Trust that your reader is going to pick up what you’re putting down without you needing to overexplain.
Trust that you have the talent to tell your story and do it the best way you know how.