Francesca Serritella
The best advice I've ever received was from my college creative writing professor, he said: "Give yourself permission to take yourself seriously." As writers, especially those just starting out, so much of our work is done alone, without external validation or encouragement along the way. It takes a lot to stay self-motivated through the inevitable obstacles and self-doubt, and you have to give yourself permission to make--and protect--the time for yourself to write and revise. So give yourself more credit! Don't let anyone, or your own anxiety, undermine your pursuit of your writing goals. You deserve to take yourself seriously before you publish a word, in fact, you must. Every author you admire today was once an aspiring writer, secretly working on a first novel during early mornings and late nights, or struggling to explain the book's premise at a dinner party (I'm still that person). Let the next writer you respect and admire be yourself.
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