A visit from the doubt fairy

Well, folks. Today I had an unwelcomed visit from the doubt fairy. She (of course it had to be a woman) comes to visit me every now and then and especially likes to come on by when the shoelaces of my life are undone and I'm having a difficult time trying to tie them back together. Furthermore, when she shows up, she always tries to dominate the conversation. For example, "You're not a writer, why are you trying to do this? You don't know the first thing about the 'rules of writing'. No one is going to care about your story. No one is going to publish your story. You suck." Yeah, I guess you could say she is not the most polite guest. But, being the gracious host that I am, I LET her talk. I hear her out as if I have no choice but to stick around and listen to her jabber on while she sits on my couch and puts her feet up on the coffee table. Then, after a while, I realize that I was the one who let her into my house and I am the only one who can kick her out. So, that's what I decided to do...hard as it was for me, seeing as though I never want to offend anybody. How did I break the news to her, you ask? Well, I simply told her the following:

"Mrs. DoubtFairy, I am in complete agreement with you. I am not a writer. I am a person who wants to share a message that will ignite a fire of confidence and hope in the hearts of kids who have been told all their lives that they are nothing--that they have nothing to give the world. And, no...I DO NOT know the 'rules of writing', but I am learning as I go and will, no doubt, learn them better doing this than I would from some formal training or guidebook. As for no one caring about my story or publishing it, that is a definite possibility. In fact, the odds are highly stacked against me. Nevertheless, that does not change the fact that it is a story that I feel compelled to write and to, at least, make a wholehearted attempt at sharing it with those for whom it is intended. I could fail, they could miss the message, it could go nowhere. But, those are risks I am willing and ready to take and so, if you would, please, kindly take your fairy dust and SHOVE IT!"

Well, as you might imagine, she did not take what I had to say very well and so...we parted on bad terms. It is not likely that she will be returning any time soon, but being the unpredictable minx that she is, it is probably best that I be on guard in case she does dare to drop by once more. You might want to do the same, for she is relentless in her pursuit of comfortable couches where she can rest her wings and babble. I would describe her to you, but it would be in vain, as she is a shape shifter and appears to everyone in a different form. However, you will know her when she opens her mouth and begins to speak and when she does, you know what to do :)