A Love Letter.

Yesterday I almost took a hammer to my computer. I was ready to call it quits. Smash every record, file or USB that my debut novel had ever been stored on.

Sounds dramatic doesn’t it? But nagging self-doubt is a powerful force that shouldn’t be underestimated. On the days when the sheer volume of work and effort required to bring these words up to a publishable level feel beyond you, it’s easy to let the niggly voice in the back of your head take control. And question every decision you’ve ever made. The value of your work.

That’s where your crew come in. Mine’s called the A-team. And they are the best, most supportive bunch of writers a girl could hope to have in her corner. They step up when I’ve run out of steam and remind me that it’s just another bend in the road. That ALL writers have doubt. Have deadlines that feel unachievable. They pick me up off the floor and ask the questions that help me find my way through the fog. And I like to think that I do the same for them.

So find your tribe of writers. Invest in them. Nourish them. Learn from them. Because they’re the only ones who’ll understand what you’re going through — at every stage of the journey — and be there when you need them. Even if it’s just to send you chocolate or wine or Chris Pratt gifs.

Because make no mistake, if it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an A-team to write a book.