Happy Halloween Freelance Writers!

Freelance writer Laura Spencer wrote another brilliant post on Freelance Folder entitled 30 Spooky Freelancing Practices. Her list included everything from bad mouthing clients to internet surfing instead of working.

Anyone guilty of that?

I’ll admit to the latter in the past. Oops.

But while I have looked fear in its face (sometimes in the eyes of a scary scary client), none of the 30 items (though good) can match the scariest of them all.

It’s this: The fear that I’m not good enough that I’ll never make it as a professional writer.

If you have never felt this before, maybe you’re lucky. But I think most of us, even the most brilliant, accomplished writers, feel this way at one point or another.

It’s the honest to goodness spookiest thing about freelancing. But it’s something that builds character, strength and self-confidence. Because every time you choose to put yourself back out there, saddle up on that rough ride once again, you’re facing that sick, in your pit feeling of rejection. Staring deeply in his eyes and responding like Joy Behar or her impersonator on SNL, Fred Armisen, “So what?! Who cares?!”

Because eventually you’ll get published, a query will be accepted and your self-esteem will rise again.

And in the meantime, don’t give up and let the scary, spooky world out there get you down. It takes time. Maybe an eternity. But the process of being a writer will change you for the better. You’ll see.

Now go on and get out there and HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!