Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a Writer

Imposter syndrome is when high-achieving people feel as though they haven’t earned the success brought about by their work. It can be easy to feel like this as a writer, feeling as though somehow you scammed everyone, and one day people will realize your writing is not good.

Do you feel like you have imposter syndrome as a writer? I know I do. Even now, I cringe a little when I tell people I am a writer. I’ve been writing for years, but it is still scary thinking of others reading my work, even if I put many hours of work into a piece.

It is easy to downplay your skills and the work put into your book when it is hard to show the progress of the story. It can be hard to wear the title of “writer” without feeling like you’re standing in shoes you don’t quite fit into. So today I wanted to write about imposter syndrome with a focus on how it is for writers and a few ways to overcome it and feel confident in your work.

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First, What Exactly IS Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter Syndrome, by definition it is the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s efforts or skills. Essentially believing your success is based upon a stroke of luck rather than any real work.

This self-doubt leads people to question how they are qualified to call themselves a writer. How can their work stand up next to many other authors that are out there today?

If you're a perfectionist in your work, you're even more likely to suffer from imposter syndrome in your works.

How Does this Affect You, the Writer?

Writers of all kinds have at one point or another doubted the quality of their works. Even being told your work is good can be hard to accept at times if you genuinely feel you don’t deserve praise for your skill.

Unpublished, traditionally published and self-published authors all can go through imposter syndrome. It can be hard to feel validated as a writer, even with your work becoming published. By experiencing imposter syndrome as a writer, you’ll doubt yourself and it will reflect in your work. Second guessing, feelings of anxiety, and just outright avoiding doing the thing you love can all happen because of imposter syndrome.

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Overcoming Writers Block

Self-Validation

Being self-published, traditionally published, or even just having someone besides yourself read your work is not the requirement to be an author. What does to take to be a writer? Writing. If you write and have stories you have written, you are an author. It is important to remind yourself of this constantly. Remember to write the story that you want to read, and don’t worry about anyone else.

Progress Log

It can be difficult to feel legitimate if you don’t really have anything to show the progress you have made in your works, which is why it is important to make a log of all of the blood, sweat, and tears put into your book. Make notes whether it be by jotting down daily wordcount, making a to-do list, or posting on socials whenever you achieve a writing goal.

Have something to look back on and remind yourself of all of the struggle and hard work you’ve put in to create your masterpiece.

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Join a Community and Chat with other Writers

Most writers I know have experienced imposter syndrome at one point or another, most creatives in general experience it. Being able to talk to other people of the same field about struggles can greatly help both you and the other person to overcome them.

Through online groups, your local library meetups, or writing events try to find people who are open to talking about imposter syndrome, and asking if they too have experienced it. It is better to work to overcome things together than it is to alone.

Save any and all Postive Feedback

If you have posted your works of any sort and gotten wonderful feedback or have gotten nice words from a friend or loved one be sure to write them down. It is important to have a positive memory to go back to when feeling down or unmotivated.

I screenshot or go back to every positive bit of feedback I have gotten from friends and followers when I feel down in the dumps about my own work, and I find this helps me get motivated again the best.

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Don’t Expect Perfection

You can’t expect your work to immediately be good. Just as artists must continuously practice their works before reaching their goals in their work, so must writers.

Give yourself room to grow, and be willing to learn your own strengths and weaknesses for the purpose of improving instead of tearing yourself down. Remember there is no instant perfection in any field, there needs to be time to learn and grow your craft.

Never Stop Writing

No matter how you feel, just keep writing. Even if you feel you can’t write, just write down your thoughts, what you see around you, or what you want to do or see. Keep. On. Writing!

The only way to become better is to practice, keep on writing and you will improve as a writer.

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Again, it is important to remember the only “requirement” to being a writer is to write. So if you experience imposter syndrome and feel as though you cannot claim the title, try to make it a habit to remind yourself of that and keep on writing, don’t ever stop and let the bad feelings win.