The 23 Levels of Belief Necessary to Finish a Novel

I recently heard Jerry Seinfeld on a podcast, and he was asked what it took to make it as a comedian. He said, “Everyone who makes it makes it because they want it more than anyone else. They just want it more.”

They want it more — but they also believe in themselves more.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot because I’ve been thinking of our mantra at National Novel Writing Month: “Your story matters.”

It’s easy to say a phrase like that over and over and forget about what it really means — and what that belief can lead to.

You have to believe your story matters to even notice a story idea speaking to you. You can’t hear the muses’ whispers if you don’t believe in yourself enough to listen.

You have to believe your story matters just to write the first word.

You have to believe your story matters to get through the muddy middle — or all of the versions of the muddy middles (there are many muddy middles, it turns out) that are fraught with self-doubt and exhaustion.

You have to believe your story matters to feel yourself as a real writer and not an imposter.

You have to believe your story matters to share it with others.