So, you've finished your first book? Or let's say you're multi-published, and you've stared down the tightest, most unrealistic deadline your sadist of an editor has ever had the gall to call a challenge. And you've just hung up the phone after saying, "it's on its way"--writer speak for, "take this submission and shove it!"

The new day is dawning, you've charmed the black night. You've channeled your creative power and applied it on demand with a deftness that rivals what even you thought you were capable of. Your victory (and the buckets of chocolate and caffeine that saw you through the aforementioned nights) going to your head, you are at this moment the writer you always knew you could be. But once you've bathed and perhaps reintroduced yourself and your family to the extravagance of a home cooked meal (or folded laundry), you have to stumble back to the synthetic monster atop your desk and confront the one demon all working writer's share, regardless of their genre or degree of success: the next project.

It must be an unwritten rule in this business that the more successful you become, the more daunting in can seem to tackle the next challenge. Perhaps a kind of subliminal brainwashing is performed amidst the countless workshops and craft discussions we attend. Something has to account for our hard-fought-for confidence dissolving into a sense of utter, impending doom. We've barely finished one project when we're paralyzed by the thought of the next.

"Yeah, that was good," we stutter, grimacing at Chapter 1, page one of the next manuscript. "But what if that's as good as it gets? What do I do now?"

Hopefully this is just a moment's hesitation, before conditioning prevails and we forge on. But far too easily, doubt becomes a downward spiral into days, weeks, or even months of not writing. Any of this sounding familiar? It should. I've never met a serious writer who hasn't been there. "Well, if this is so darn common," I can hear you asking, "how exactly do you suggest we conquer our weak moments and continue to thrive?"

Good question. It's not like there's a local chapter of Writer's Block Anonymous to check in with for regular encouragement and a helpful twelve-step program. And the bitter reality is that we are only as good as our next project. If we don't constantly take our storytelling farther, we have no prayer of gluing the fickle reader to our particular flavor of the written word.

Okay. Before you contemplate dragging me out of the next chapter meeting for a good ol' fashioned b**ch-slapping because I've stirred up all this angst, hang on. I'm meandering around to a point. It's a simple point, but it's a fact that no one can deny. When self-doubt and fear is weighing you down, the one sure thing you've got going for you is the fact that your career is bigger than any one book.

Once you see your work outside the limitations of a single novel, amazing things begin to happen. When you remember that writing is a journey--nothing more, nothing less--you are suddenly free. A good first step to take? Look back and honor how far you've come. Each of us began with raw talent, gift, and a desire to share a part of our soul through story. Add in the years of work, the blessings of others who've lifted you above yourself along the way, and the rest is all about your own unique journey and where you're still going.

In the context of all you've done and all you want to do, being stuck plotting the next idea, getting your head around an elusive character, or learning a new approach is nothing more than a crossroads. You're not falling apart. This is nothing new. Remove the panic of never being any better, and you're right back where you started all those years ago: focusing on craft and figuring out what you don't know. Surviving the rough patches then becomes a simple exercise in getting busy and working through what's got you stumped--just like you always have.

Simplistic, yes. But remember. Deep inside all of us is that novice writer who was awed by the idea of finishing just one book. That writer knew she had a lot to learn and a long way to go, but the journey to her was a marvelous adventure. Each new thing she tackled was a step closer to the dream, another small victory to celebrate. Find her again, and you'll be on your way.

Fear and uncertainty about the future are the kiss of death for any creative project that begins and ends with your energies alone. Staying grounded in your journey is the ticket out of this self-deceiving abyss. Don't beat away at all you've gained because a little piece of now isn't making sense. Believe in your dream and your gifts, and believe in the great adventure you've only just begun.