How to Get Over the Doubt: 9 Reminders for Writers

In the process of writing, one thing is almost always certain—you will have days where the doubt creeps in. When you think …
What am I even doing here?
Is this all worth it?
Is anyone ever going to read this?
I understand! So, let’s talk about a few things to help get you through when the inner critic rears its ugly head. 

1. Be aware of what you are doing. Recognize that you will have days when the writing just isn’t flowing (and that’s okay). Every single writer has days where it just isn’t happening. 

2. Writers talk a lot about imposter syndrome—that feeling of am I really a writer? Is being a writer when pen hits paper? Getting published? Having a book out? Or does any of that really matter? Maybe being a writer is just like any other art—the act of taking time to do it and getting lost while you do it is enough. The business of publishing is another animal but don’t let it take away from the fulfillment you get from the process.

3. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else! You are unique. All of us have our own voices and our own stories. None of our work will be a carbon copy of someone else’s. Only YOU can tell your stories. And remember, there may be people that get published simply because they were in the right place at the right time but it doesn’t always mean their work is better than yours. 

4. Understand that rejection/setbacks are part of the process. I get it, you wrote a whole scene and you thought it was the best thing you ever wrote but then you realize it just doesn’t work (and now you want to cry). You wrote your whole piece in past tense but realize it would be better in present. You thought you were done with the book but realize it needs a whole new beginning. It may feel daunting but those setbacks are often a part of the process. We all write crappy first drafts.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Reach out to a writing friend. Chances are they will totally relate to what you are feeling and may be able to give you the encouragement you need to keep going. Not everyone in your life will care about your writing but it helps to have that one friend who does. 

6. Be as kind to yourself as your most supportive friend would be. Too many times instead of thinking about the people who the story will resonate with, writers think about the people it won’t—maybe it’s your mother with the stiff upper lip or an overly critical friend—whoever it is, don’t let them shape your story. It’s yours. Trust that you are the best person to tell it. Stop thinking about the people who won’t connect with your work and start thinking about the ones that will. Everyone is not going to love everything you write (just like not everyone likes the same kind of music). Always remember you aren’t writing it for those people, you are writing it for the ones that “get it.” 

7. Try to reframe the way you think about it: “I’m never going to be able to finish this book/piece” vs. “I can finish this chapter/I can work on this scene/paragraph.” Pretty soon those little bits can add up to something big. 

8. Good writing is about telling the truth. We begin to fail as writers when we start to tell the story the way we think someone else wants to hear it or when we let the “critics” get into our heads. Stay true to your voice and believe that you are the person to tell/shape the story. 

9. Celebrate the little wins. Take time to step back and recognize how far you’ve come. You made stories where there were none. Look at old pieces and see how much better your writing is now. The process is how you become a better writer and it helps to look back to see how you’ve grown. 

I’ll leave you with a quote from Author Maya Angelou: “Each time I write a book, every time I face that yellow pad, the challenge is so great. I have written eleven books, but each time I think, 'Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody and they’re going to find me out.”