I'm a fraud... and so can you!

Yesterday we had a new writer join us at the Backstreet Writers Group, a woman who brought in a printed page from the suspense novel she’s started. It was clean and well written; we found things to admire in it, I offered one editing suggestion, and on we went. I went over the Lichtenbergian Precepts, and we talked about writing and procrastination and pitfalls, etc.

She seemed relaxed and comfortable enough despite her sometimes-off-the-wall fellow writers, but near the end of the session she admitted that she was beginning to feel “inadequate” next to us. We laughed and laughed and pointed out that she was not sitting at the table with Stephen King or Anne Lamott. The other two writers in the group assured her that they just seemed to be “adequate” because they’d been plugging away at their writing for quite a while.

Okay, let’s be honest: I am probably more accomplished at some things than the average human, but that’s because I’m old and have just kept doing stuff the whole time in many areas whether or not I was ‘talented’ in any of them. That’s the point. Am I as good a composer as [name one, any one]? Not in the least. Do I write compelling fiction or poetry? Not really. Are my cocktails worthy of being served on a Viking River Cruise? Actually, yes.

The author with his ‘rose-colored g’ cocktail, served on the viking osiris nile river cruise as one of the offerings from the bar for the ‘last toast’ gathering. recipe here: https://www.dalelyles.com/2023/10/30/the-rose-colored-g-perfected/ (Our bartender did the best he could.)

But mostly I have blundered my way to where I am today, and so can you. Want to write a five-volume fantasy novel? Do it. Want to write “two showstopping dance numbers” with no clue as to what that clown in Beijing wants? Who’s stopping you?

Will your novel or dance numbers or Malört-based cocktail be any good? Who cares? It doesn’t have to be. Remember what Backstreet writer Daniel Maldonado said when asked What makes you call yourself an writer?: “I have a pen.”

That’s all it takes.