How Do I Know What I Think Until I See What I Say?

On his blog this week, agent Nathan Bransford asked his readers how they deal with the "Am I crazies," which he defined as this: You probably know what I'm talking about: the "Am I crazies" are that feeling you get where you're spending so much time writing a novel or multiple novels, your friends and family are wondering what you're doing, and you have no idea whatsoever whether you will ever see publication. You could be spending your hours writing the great American novel or you could be writing something that will only be read by your critique partners. No way of knowing. That's when you stare at the ceiling and wonder, "Am I crazy for spending so much time doing this?" It's an interesting question. Writers, like other artists, are asked to create before they get paid (either literally, like, in money, or figuratively, in appreciation). So someone who wants to be a writer has to commit to the work first, and then hope for the rew