I just got back from WorldCon76 in San Jose. When we left home, I felt pretty good about myself. I’ve published over twenty stories, including four novels with three more on the way. I’ve gotten great reviews, and my publisher seems to like me. Sure, I’m not making big money yet, but I’m on my way.

Right?

Then I got to WorldCon.

There were something like 4,000 people there. I think half of them were authors, and every single one seemed younger and more creative than me.

Examples abounded.

• Astrophysicists who were also authors, and had the physical science stuff down cold.
• Writers who had been perfecting their craft for thirty years, who were roughly my age.
• Newbies who had stories in consideration for Hugo awards.

Suddenly I felt like a rank amateur, like someone who didn’t know what the hell he was doing.

Yesterday, the capper. An author who has done what no one else has done before. Won the Hugo Award for three years running.

I am in awe. And I feel like an imposter.

Every writer goes through this now and then – there’s even a name for it. It’s called Imposter Syndrome.

We reach a certain level of success, and look around, and wonder who the hell let us in to this little club. We wonder what they were smoking, and how long it will take before somebody figures out that we don’t belong and kicks us out.

So.

I sit back, and take a big breath.

I remember that I write because I love doing writing. I remember that I do so because I need to. I remember that each of those other authors probably feels like this to. I remember that when you stop feeling this way, you stop learning, and your writing stagnates.

And I remember that I’m pretty good at this telling stories thing.

Maybe not good enough to win the Hugo Award, let alone to win it three times.

But that’s ok.

All I can do is write the best story I can, each time, and try to learn how to write better the next time around.

One of the panels at WorldCon76 was titled “You Do Belong Here.”

I think I’m going to make that my new mantra.

I do belong here, dammit. This is my club too.

And if you’re a writer, you belong here too.