Writing fiction really is a kind of magic. You’re creating another reality out of words. By weaving words together, you can make readers care about people and things and happenings that don’t exist in the “real” world. And if you’re doing that with any success at all, you’re creating magic; it’s something special and you should be proud. How many people can do that?

It’s hard to make magic, though, and sometimes a few tiny flaws ruin the whole spell. There are so many ways to get it wrong. That’s why it’s important to keep studying the craft (as if you’re a student at Hogwarts!) and to keep working hard. And get help. Someone else’s suggestions or edits can make the web of magic stronger so that it works on more people in a more powerful way. But there’s no one right way to do it. Sometimes you’ll get helpful advice that doesn’t work at all, and there’s really no way to know except to keep trying. You will probably fail miserably. Many times. Did you think making magic would be easy?

It can be infuriating and painful and humiliating, but it’s worth it. Because when your hours and hours of hard work pay off, and you enthrall readers with your magic, it’s … well … magical!