How to Stop Holding Yourself Back as a Writer

April 30, 2019 | By Colleen M. Story | 1 Reply More

To succeed as an author, it’s important to know, understand, and own your unique writing and creative strengths. When you do that, you can build on those strengths and have a better chance of reaching your goals.

It’s not always easy, though, to acknowledge that hey, you’re pretty good at some things! If you struggle with that, you could be holding yourself back. Here’s why, and what you can do to remove those mental barriers and break through to greater achievement.

Why You May Feel You’re Not a “Real” Writer

Take a moment to answer the following questions:

When I succeed at something related to my writing, I have a tendency to believe that it was more because of good timing, hard work, or luck than my own writing ability.
1. Always
2. Most of the time
3. Sometimes
4. Never
When working on a writing project or trying something new related to my creative endeavors, I worry I’m going to fail.
1. Always
2. Most of the time
3. Sometimes
4. Never
When someone reads my writing and enjoys it, it feels great, and for a minute I think maybe I am good at this, but that feeling quickly fades to be replaced by other thoughts, like “she was just being nice” or “he’s not really qualified to judge.”
1. Always
2. Most of the time
3. Sometimes
4. Never

Now look at your answers. If they were mostly As and Bs, you’ve likely got a powerful case of imposter syndrome on your hands. Even if they’re mostly Cs, you may struggle with this syndrome now and then.

Imposter syndrome was first described by psychologists in 1978 as an “internal experience of intellectual phoniness” that exists despite outstanding accomplishments. Writers suffering from imposter syndrome are likely to feel like they’ve experienced success mostly because of good luck rather than because of their strengths.

Experiencing imposter syndrome doesn’t mean a person has poor self-esteem. You can feel like capable overall, for example, but still have a hard time believing you have what it takes to be a great writer.

It may not seem like all that dangerous a thing. As long as you’re still reaching your goals, what does it matter? The problem is that imposter syndrome will eventually trip you up—it’s just a matter of time.

Imagine having a story that places in a contest, earns you a coveted publishing contract, and garners good reviews, but still leaves you feeling like you haven’t reached your ideal image of what a “real writer” is. You could suffer from anxiety, depression, burnout, and emotional exhaustion, to the point that you eventually abandon your writing career altogether.

The problem with imposter syndrome is that it leaves you constantly unsatisfied. No accomplishment is ever enough. You may live in a state of chronic stress, worried your “façade” will fall and you will be “discovered” as fraud you really are.

This fear can manifest itself in many ways. You may worry about taking on more projects, for fear you won’t be able to manage them. You may delay submitting or publishing for fear of bad reviews. After all, if you’ve gotten by on pure luck so far, surely one day that luck has to run out.

Without the willingness to trust in your own talent and take a leap of faith now and then, you’ll eventually struggle to keep going, until your writing career begins to stagnate.

How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

If any of this sounds familiar to you, don’t worry. Imposter syndrome is something you can overcome. Here are five things to remember as you work to create a sense of true confidence and trust in yourself.

Remember: you’re not alone.

Even author Neil Gaiman publicly admitted to experiencing imposter syndrome. In his University of the Arts commencement speech, he said: “The first problem of any kind of even limited success is the unshakable conviction that you are getting away with something and that any moment now they will discover you. It’s Impostor Syndrome, something my wife Amanda christened the Fraud Police.”

So when imposter syndrome raises its ugly head, remind yourself that you, like so many others, can lesson this syndrome’s effect on your life and your writing career.

Accept that writing careers fluctuate.

Even if you do everything “right,” things can still go wrong. Then again, sometimes things will go incredibly right. Both situations can exacerbate imposter syndrome. When things go wrong you blame yourself, and when things go right you assume it was all a fluke and that time will ferret out the truth about your lack of skills.

Chasing after some ideal writing life (that “ideal image” that imposter syndrome creates) will only leave you disappointed and depressed. Develop a more realistic view of the writer’s journey. Allow your experience to be as it will without judging yourself so harshly.

Recognize the predictable pattern imposter syndrome takes.

Imposter syndrome tends to show up at predictable times. Usually it’s when you want to try something new. Let’s say you’ve been a successful romance writer, but now you’d like to try nonfiction. Expect imposter syndrome to show up. You haven’t written non-fiction before, so you’re clearly not an expert. Who are you to try this?

Researchers have found that whenever you step out of your comfort zone, you’re at risk for imposter syndrome. Observe your own thoughts and actions, and you’ll recognize the pattern. Say to yourself, “This is normal. I’m trying something new, but I can learn how to do this. I can figure it out.”

Show yourself evidence of your ability.

The power imposter syndrome has over you dissipates in the face of factual evidence, so make a point to gather as much as you can and review it regularly. Keep a “strengths” file where you copy/paste every positive comment you get on your work. Include good reviews, editors’ comments, praise from critiques—all positive feedback.

Gathering it all in one place provides you with an easy reference when you need it. As an added bonus, you can use it to determine where your unique writing strengths are. Simply divide the comments into categories, such as those referring to dialogue, setting, pacing, characterization, etc. Soon you’ll begin to see patterns that will help you recognize where you really excel.

Wean yourself from the effects of criticism and praise.

Researchers have found that those suffering from imposter syndrome are often oversensitive to criticism and love praise. They may be “people-pleasers,” doing everything they can to make those around them happy, while neglecting themselves.

This sort of thinking encourages the idea that you have to work overtime to make others happy, even when you’re writing, and that it’s that tireless work—not your talent or skill—that leads to any successes you achieve.

To break this habit and keep imposter syndrome at bay, do your best to focus on your work, rather than what others say about it. Make yourself happy with your writing, and when you release it out into the world, let it go. The less you’re affected by others’ opinions, the freer you will feel as an artist, and imposter syndrome is likely to fade away.

Find more about imposter syndrome and discover your unique strengths as a writer in Colleen’s new book, Writer Get Noticed! Get your free chapter here.

Sources

Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241-247. doi:10.1037/h0086006

Neil Gaiman 2012 Commencement Speech “Make Good Art” [Video file]. (2012, June 9). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plWexCID-kA

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Colleen M. Story inspires writers to overcome modern-day challenges and find creative fulfillment in their work. Her latest release, Writer Get Noticed!, is a strengths-based guide to help writers break the spell of invisibility and discover unique author platforms that will draw readers their way. With over 20 years in the creative industry, Colleen is the founder of Writing and Wellness (writingandwellness.com) and Writer CEO (writerceo.com). Please see her author website (colleenmstory.com) or follow her on Twitter (@colleen_m_story).

Find more about imposter syndrome and discover your unique strengths as a writer in Colleen’s new book, Writer Get Noticed! Get your free chapter here.

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