Self-esteem is a complicated and fascinating subject. I came to realise this when my first novel was published some years ago. It got good reviews and I was delighted, but I was also surprised to find myself dashing into health food shops and buying bottles of Rescue Remedy. It was wonderful that a precious dream had come true and I felt fulfilled and thrilled but I did not feel more confident. In fact I felt I had been in the school athletics team and had somehow wandered into the Olympics. It wasn't funny ha, ha so much as funny peculiar. I had written the book because I love writing and that particular story had just poured out of me.
And now I was an "author", but I felt like a fake. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/wi...