I’m querying a new book right now. It’s great and dreadful.

This morning, I remembered seeing this random interview years ago with Jessica Chastain (and others).  An audience member asked what advice they had for aspiring actors and she said “You have to do something every day to remind yourself that you’re an actor.”

I think it would be safe to substitute writer (or probably any other artist) for actor. What is it about artists? Why do we need to be reminded who we are? You would think that based on the amount of time I spend writing, thinking about writing, and analyzing/revising my writing—that I would feel like a writer. But probably inherent in any kind of creation is self-doubt. We say I’m won’t be a real writer until ______” and then fill in the blank with any number of milestones—until I’m published, until I have an agent, until I sell x number of copies, until people I’ve never met start inviting me to speak at book clubs or actually show up at my author signings…and so on.

So, today I’m doing things to remind myself that I’m a writer. I’m sending queries and revising my manuscript and mentally drafting the next one. I’m writing this. I’m a writer because I have something to say, and I’m saying it. I’m a writer because I write.