I actually have a few. My mom, because she is a writer and understands the ups, downs and in-betweens of writing. My husband because he understands the ups, downs and in-betweens of me being me. A few friends who accept that I am who I am and like me just the same. Me — on occasion. Sometimes when I write something wonderful, I tell myself I am, indeed, brilliant. A biased opinion no doubt, but hey, who am I to complain?

Who is your supporter?

Without a doubt: Me.

No one else is as harsh, unforgiving, narrow-minded, mean, cynical, demanding, obnoxious, disloyal … need I go on?

What about you?

I just know. It’s a feeling, a sense of rightness. It’s reading something I’ve reworked dozens of times and finding it fresh, insightful, clever. It’s knowing, if only for a few moments or hours, that I have talent. It’s pride that I can finish what I started. It’s something that makes me see the glass as half-full — or even completely full.

What about you?

Reaching a goal takes a lot of mental energy, physical energy too (sitting for hours, overworking my fingers, getting too little sleep, etc.). And so the very first thing I do is rest. It’s rest without guilt. In other words, I let myself off the hook for the rest of the day or week.

The second thing I do is take myself out for tea or lunch. Sometimes I go by myself, other times I meet a friend. Most times I read. Always, however, I have paper and pen — just in case. Sometimes, the reward is simply sketching out a scene or snippet of dialogue. This kind of writing is like doodling; it’s relaxing.

What about you?

Projects are like runners: they stop or at least slow down when they get to the finish line. The key, for me, is to remember and accept this. I don’t do this willingly. Sometimes I forget to do it at all, and I fall into the self-blame trap. It’s as if every negative thought I’ve ever had about myself screams out.

Needless to say, this doesn’t help matters. That’s why I try to find other activities to keep myself busy, ones that make me feel better about myself. These can be switching to other writing projects, going for long walks, spending time with friends, or even attending to chores that have nagged at me for months.

What about you?