I’ll be honest here. Though the noble lion may be considered “king of the jungle,” I seldom think about him. But I am awed and fascinated by the majestic, fearsome tiger. And whenever I think of tigers, I think of two things: Robert Blake’s poem “The Tyger” and my son as a little boy.
Years ago, due to my husband’s and my jobs, our son, Robert, needed to spend three months with his grandfather, whom he barely knew. Robert’s granddad was a retired military officer who often adopted a gruff manner. And when he did, he could be quite intimidating. Fortunately, he also had a sense of humor.
When we all got together again at Christmastime, Granddad took great delight in telling us how it had gone when he and Robert were first alone together. As Granddad had stood looking down at his four-year-old grandson, Robert looked up with his most serious face and said, “I have lions and tigers, you know. They live under my bed.”
Now, whenever I begin to feel intimidated or inadequate to the task at hand, I think of Robert and his lions and tigers. As long as he had them to protect him, he was not afraid.
We writers often feel insecure in the publishing world as though we don’t have enough knowledge or talent or craftsmanship to produce the type of literature that will entice an agent, secure a publisher, or please a reader. So, what can we do to bolster our confidence and not falter in the face of that query letter, that face-to-face pitch to an agent, that presentation to a critique group or talk to a book club? Well, if all else fails, we can call on our lions and tigers.
And just what are our lions and tigers?
They are the knowledge we have gleaned from reading books about writing, from reading books about the business of writing, from reading books period, especially ones of the same type of fiction or nonfiction that we write.
They are the knowledge we have gained from and the friendships we have forged with other writers and publishing professionals through our attendance at writers’ conferences, workshops, and local writers’ groups.
They are the awards our books have won, the encouraging notes our efforts have prompted from editors, and the laughter and tears in all the right places our stories have evoked from readers.
Any or all of these can come to our emotional defense when we begin to feel like an imposter in the literary world.
You need not have won awards or received rave reviews or been accepted by a publisher to be a good writer. All you need to do is read and write and revise and grow and learn – and keep on writing and writing and writing.
If you have love of language, passion for expressing ideas, and compassion for your readers, then you will evolve into a better and better writer until you have finally gone the distance and greatness awaits you just around the corner.
So, the next time you feel inadequate, insecure, or intimidated, just think of those lions and tigers.
What’s hiding under your bed?