Several years ago I watched a reality show on television. The objective was to find an actor to play the part of Joseph in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. One of Lloyd Webber’s comments stuck with me: “We need a Joseph who will inspire confidence in the audience.”

It struck me at the time that this is one of those things that the reader expects from a writer. Confidence. We want to read a novel without worrying that the writer will run out of steam, that we, the readers, are in safe hands.

This came back to me this week when the news broke of the death of the incomparable Dolly Parton. One of the stories about her that emerged was one about how Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, asked Dolly to sign over the rights to her song, ‘I will Always Love You’, ostensibly so that Elvis would record it. Despite her youth, Dolly refused, and it was a good thing she did. The song brought her millions later on. That was a woman who was confident in her talent.

All of these things come down to the confidence the artist has in his or her work. We must believe that our work is worth doing, that it speaks to our talent and that it faithfully represents the human being that we are. Ultimately, that confidence must make itself known in our work, be it art, or music, or writing.

So, how do we make our confidence apparent? Well, at the risk of stating the obvious, we must first feel confident in our work. Where can that confidence be found? I suspect the answer is different for everyone. Perhaps you need positive feedback from people you trust. Maybe you need to see your work published in order to believe in it. Or maybe you are one of those lucky few who just know that you are talented and that your work is exceptional. There are, I am told, writers like that. I’m not one of them. I needed to do well in writing competitions, get feedback from people who knew what they were talking about, see my work published, and receive excellent reviews. My confidence grew from all these things. I would like to add that with maturity came wisdom, but, well, perhaps some day.

In addition to that belief in oneself, the writer also needs to produce work that leaves the reader in no doubt that he or she is reading what is sometimes called ‘muscular prose’. In other words, writing that is unique, profound, and takes chances. Read Hemingway if you need an example. He never used one extraneous word. His writing is sparse, specific, and uncompromising. He wrote as if he never doubted his ability for even one moment. I don’t know if that was indeed the case, but that is what his writing suggests. Another author I recently discovered is Jonathan Safran Foer, whose first novel, Everything is Illuminated certainly brightened my life and left me awed by the talent on display. And if short stories are your interest, check out the superb Raymond Carver.

In addition to reading exceptional writers, here are some ways you can develop confidence in your work, if you suspect it is lacking.

Copy no one

No matter how much you admire another writer, you still have to be you. We already have a Hemingway, a Joyce, a Beckett. What we don’t have is you. Be you. Write of your own unique experiences. I’m giving you the same advice any parent gives when their kid is going on a first date, or starting a new school: be yourself. Or, as Oscar Wilde allegedly said, ‘Be yourself, everyone else is taken.’

Yes, there are supposedly a limited number of plots, but even with that being the case, everyone approaches their storytelling differently. Tell your story your way. Your experiences are yours alone, no matter how universal they may be. Plumb your own depths and share your darkest truths, let fear be damned.

Write through the fear

Fear only matters if it stops you from doing something you want. Many times fear is a good thing. It stops you from playing chicken in traffic, or ignoring railway warnings, or ice skating on a thinly frozen lake. But while fear of that kind exists to protect you, the fear that keeps you from exploring your creativity is not helpful, or at least not if you let it get in your way.

I’m not saying you should set your fear aside; I, for one, find that impossible to do. Instead, I work through it. I remind myself that my writing is important to me and I’m more likely to shrivel away if I don’t write than if I do. Besides, I’m going to shrivel away eventually; might as well have fun on the way. Right?

Many actors say they took a certain part because it scared them. They know that working through the fear will help them to grow as an actor. Think of those actors who are popular but who always play some version of the same part. Some of them stay for years going from one cheesy sitcom to another. All that changes is the name of the character they play. Indeed, there is at least one who always uses his own name, no matter what part he’s playing. Allegedly, this is because he can’t get ‘into’ the character unless it has the same name as himself. Would you rather watch an actor like that, or someone who seems a chameleon, whose performance always surprises? You can make the same argument for artists, musicians, or weavers. Every pattern, every story, is the same.

Work through your fear. Try it for a year, every day sit at your desk and work. Then, at the end of the year, read your early work and compare it with your recent efforts. You’ll be amazed at how much you have grown.

Stop mumbling

We have all seen the kid in the class who, when called upon to give an answer, or to read a passage, hums and haws and stares at their feet. Surprisingly, in many cases the kid’s answer is often correct, the reading spot-on. Yet they are unable to let go of their nerves. Likewise, there are brilliant actors, award-winners, highly acclaimed, who vomit before they go on stage. It has nothing to do with talent, it has to do with fear, with a lack of confidence.

The writer’s equivalence of this is the mumbling, shuffling prose of the nervous writer. Their opening page reads like a child’s essay.

Well, last Sunday — maybe it was Saturday — no, it was Sunday. My mum was a bit worried. I mean, she was sort of annoyed with the weather. I mean, it was dry. Right then, it was dry, but it looked like it might rain a bit…

How much confidence does this instill in you? Not much, right?

Be definitive in your prose. Be specific about where and when things happen. Drop all the ‘I mean’, ‘I think’, and the ‘a bit’, ‘really’, ‘perhaps’ kind of wishy-washy writing. It’s okay in a first draft, but for later drafts you need to sound as if you know what you’re talking about.

Accept criticism

Confidence does not, or should not, mean arrogance. No matter how talented you are, you can still learn from others. No, not all criticism is valid. Some comes from places of jealousy, anger, or ignorance. However, you may still find that those people are capable of offering reliable judgement. Or you may find that these people are worth avoiding when you want feedback.

If you are lucky enough to have a mentor or a teacher then seek their opinion. Remember, even experts can be wrong sometimes, but they are most often right.

Accept all criticism gracefully, even the variety that you don’t like. Appreciate that people took the time to read your work and to offer you their opinion. You don’t necessarily have to accept their comments, but you don’t have to be nasty about it either.

In time you will learn what criticism is valid and what is not, but even in the early days you should note when the same comments come from more than one source. One person may be wrong, but if two or more people tell you some specific element isn’t working, you should try to correct that flaw. Learning, and fixing your errors is the only way to improve.

Meditation and Affirmations

Many writers feel better if they meditate for a time before they start writing. You don’t need a special room, or a mat to sit on. A quiet place, in or out of your home, somewhere you can concentrate and free your thoughts is all you need. And, of course, if you don’t think it’s for you, there’s no rule that says you have to try it. While many writers find it helpful, only you can decide if you are one of them.

Repeating positive phrases before you start writing can help to raise your confidence. If one affirmation really strikes you, write it out and hang it over your desk. Otherwise, just pick a few and repeat them to yourself. I once created a PowerPoint of my favourite affirmations and quotes about writing. Watching it regularly did help my confidence to grow. You can find ‘positive affirmations for writers’ on the internet. I’m sharing some of my favourites, but there are dozens of others.

Some of my favourites include:

Every day I write, my work improvesWriting is how I find my place in the worldMy talent grows each time I writeI will write and not be afraidMy writing is my gift to myself and to the worldI am brave enough to write and to share my workOthers will only take my writing seriously if I doI am serious about my writingWriting is its own rewardI will always prioritise my writing[image error]Pexels.com" data-large-file="https://rycardus.wordpress.com/wp-con..." width="975" height="1300" src="https://rycardus.wordpress.com/wp-con..." alt="" class="wp-image-19771" srcset="https://rycardus.wordpress.com/wp-con... 975w, https://rycardus.wordpress.com/wp-con... 113w, https://rycardus.wordpress.com/wp-con... 225w, https://rycardus.wordpress.com/wp-con... 768w" sizes="(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px" />Photo by Wendy Wei on Pexels.com