Self-doubt can stifle the creative process and block the ability to express oneself. This can cause real problems when writing a story.
When you ponder your writerly identity, what comes to mind?
Your strength? Great confidence. “I can do this!”
Or weakness? Fear of failure. “What was I thinking?”
Self-doubt is an equal opportunity issue. Pessimists aren’t the only ones who deal with it. Optimists are not immune to the self-doubt train.
Steps to overcome writerly self-doubt
Questions may pop up in your mind, “What makes me think that I can actually write a book? Is it any good? Will anyone buy it?”
Do you use positive thoughts and build yourself up or negative self-talk, comparing yourself to others?
If it’s negative self-talk, recognize it for what it is to curb self-doubt from damaging your ability to write and cause feelings of unworthiness. Tell yourself that you are good enough and worthy of being heard. Recognizing the problem is the first big step to overcome it.
Where does self-doubt come from?
At its core, self-doubt stems from many things.
Childhood experiences
Highly critical adult authority figures
Unrecognized talents
Lack of encouragement
Social awkwardness
When confidence has been stripped away at a young age, it is hard to get it back. A good dose of stubbornness helps.
Perfectionism
Standards set too high
Fear of failure
Comparing self to others
Seeing things only in black and white with no possibility for compromise or shades of gray
The Inner Critic
Constantly questions our decisions and abilities
Chips away confidence
Silencing that inner beast is tough. But when you discover the root causes of self-doubt, focus on your strengths and accomplishments so you can ignore the inner critic.
Writers on self-doubt
In the publishing world, writers are confronted with a plethora of competition, and criticism. Then there is the rejection. Know that writers, even the accomplished ones, deal with this. All of it—food for self-doubt.
Writing is an artform. Many artists are prone to self-doubt, so it isn’t surprising that writers face the same struggle. There’s much self-doubt to go around. Consider the following greats who did battle with that fear.
“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” –- Sylvia Plath
“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” ― William Shakespeare
“Writing fiction, especially a long work of fiction can be a difficult, lonely job; it’s like crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a bathtub. There’s plenty of opportunity for self-doubt.” ― Stephen King
“I'm not too fond of the hard work and the constant battle with self-doubt that goes on when I write, but I figure that's part of the territory.” ― Robert Sheckley
“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.’” ― Maya Angelou
Overcoming self-doubt
To quiet the negative voice, you not only need to hear that you are worthy to be heard—you need to believe it.
Set aside your worries as you are able
Step away from the writing world for a time
Focus on overcoming the blocks that are walling you off from the success you want, then return to writing
Begin your journey to face self-doubt today. Bring that confidence to your writing and see how that effects your life.
Kick your inner critic to the curb
There is no “I’m not good enough.” Don’t allow negative self-talk to sabotage your creativity.
Sometimes it helps to lavish encouragement on others. Tell them how proud you are of them, how wonderful they are, that it’s okay to make mistakes, as errors help us learn to be better writers. Sometimes those errors lead us to new and interesting stories.
In helping others, we may encourage ourselves. And your encouraging words will be passed along to others along the way.
When you recognize that your inner critic is creeping in, have a go-to phrase you can say out loud to lessen the impact of that negative inner voice.
Here are some suggestions:
“Stop!”
“Nope. I’ve got this!”
“I can do this.”
“I’m talented.”
“I’m better than this!”
“What if I fall? Oh, my darling, what if you fly?”— Erin Hanson
If you focus on (failing) falling, you’re letting doubt take over. Instead, focus on flying free from limitations, doubt, and fear. Dive into new experiences and possibilities.
Your thoughts create life, keep them positive.
Build yourself up when experiencing self-doubt
Give yourself some grace. No one is perfect. Recognize your humanity.
Listen to music. This is something I do to help myself. Songs can be inspirational and truly are mood-changing.
Sing and dance until negativity leaves you. Your motivation will return.
There will always be critics. Work on developing a thicker skin, and be open for constructive criticism.
Build up your love of self and confidence level to better face doubts.
Celebrate your wins
Many people talk about writing a book. The fact that you are working on one is a big win.
Celebrate when you recognize moments of self-doubt and confront them—building a shield made of confidence and positivity.
Do you struggle with self-doubt or imposter syndrome as an artist? What do you do to handle self-doubt?
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About Ellen
Author, speaker, and former teacher, Ellen L. Buikema has written non-fiction for parents, and The Adventures of Charlie Chameleon chapter book series with stories encouraging the development of empathy—sprinkling humor wherever possible. Her Works in Progress are The Hobo Code, YA historical fiction and The Crystal Key, MG Magical Realism/ Sci-Fi, a glaze of time travel.
17 comments on “Tips for Overcoming Writerly Self-doubt”
I've had a run of self-doubt lately. I believe it's related to physical and mental exhaustion. I don't think it's coincidental that this self-doubt is creeping in at a time when I have developed some disconcerting health issues.
My remedy? Don't try to muddle through the writing. Give it a break. Give yourself a break. It's time to play some Stardew Valley - a video game that brings me joy and allows me to be the farmer I could have been.
And don't think I haven't thought about writing fan fiction for Stardew Valley - it's the only way I'll ever marry "Elliott."
Thanks, Ellen, for good advice and great quotes for re-instilling confidence in our creativity.
I wonder how much self-doubt is generated because we ignore the fact that we should write first for ourselves. We should write our stories the way we want (actually, the way the stories want, if we learn to listen to them). And we write because we must: we cannot NOT write. Readers don't have to read our stuff, and they don't have to like it. There's always another audience out there, somewhere. Will we find it? Maybe. Maybe not. But that's really not the reason we write, is it?
I've (self)published two novels and am at work on a historical novel. All took and are taking years (the published ones: decades) to complete. Hey, life got in the way ... But I kept coming back to them, because the muse kept poking at me. It never lets me be, so I've learned to listen to it, more than to myself.
A friend who read my second novel, in which the two main characters are psychically linked, really tore into its flaws. One of those flaws was not a flaw at all: The two characters sounded a lot alike. Of course they did! They were spiritual soul mates. I almost asked her if there was anything in the book that she likes - I probably should have ... But that criticism did not deter me from continuing to write. That was one person's opinion. I have numerous kudos from others.
There's no such thing as perfection; we can only strive to get as close to it as we can. Nobody has the authority to dictate what we can or cannot, should or should not write. (Notice how "author" is the primary part of the word "authority.") We need no one's permission to write. No one else can write our own stories. We own them!
The jealous and the lazy work hard to control us and stifle our words, but we are not obligated to heed them. After all, who died and put them in charge?
Oh, that pesky muse, and thank goodness for the muse.
Self-doubt can rise from so many different directions that it's hard to pinpoint the exact cause. But I think you have a good idea there regarding to whom we are writing.
Wonderful, helpful post, Ellen. Self-doubt is truly a scourge for many of us writers. It always hovers in the background, but can be ignored.
It held me back for many years. Learning writing craft helped me, but didn't banish it. Being published in various online magazines didn't remove it. Self-publishing novels that found readers also didn't end it. As you noted, the roots often go back to childhood and become part of the negative self-talk which can be so corrosive. We need to learn how to manage it and ignore it, especially the inner critic.
You provided a very useful set of tips and actions to help muzzle the inner critic and quiet self-doubt.
I'm an author with dyslexia... So self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the anxiety they create are old bedfellows of mine. (Even though there is a long, proud history of established dyslexic authors.) Thank you for your article, Ellen. For me, it is timely and helpful.
Yes, there are many talented people who are also dyslexic. It is definitely a struggle. I am certain that others would benefit from learning how you manage.
Constructive and positive guidance, Would love to believe this could be tfrue, but what if the most comprehensive
negativity comes from those closest of all - Birth family ?
This is why I mentioned childhood issues. It's never easy. However, we can use life experiences in our writing. It can be cathartic. I have done this and it helped me.
Thanks for this post. Ellen. I especially like your point that helping others can help one's own doubts.
I've spent a lot of time working on my self-confidence in general as well as as it relates to my writing. That has helped. The other thing that has helped is recognizing and naming the emotions I'm feeling. Doubt, fear, whatever. Once I identify the emotions, I can usually identify why I'm feeling that way. Sometimes it has to do with childhood traumas, sometimes it's because I know I wrote something that wasn't true to me and when I fix that, the doubt is gone--mostly. lol.
Doubt is something that will always be with me to some degree. Acknowledging that it exists and that I can regulate my emotions and work despite my self doubts was probably the most important part of learning to deal with self-doubt for me.
You make an excellent point. It's helpful to remember all that we've accomplished. I think sometimes we focus more on our deficits and forget about the work we've done.
Thank you for this article, Ellen. Your suggestion to build self love is helpful - to think of building value and respect for myself in order to be able to withstand the doubts that seem inevitable is something I had not considered. I keep hoping the doubt will go away, but instead, I think I will focus on building the value and self respect and let the doubts shrink in comparison.
I've had a run of self-doubt lately. I believe it's related to physical and mental exhaustion. I don't think it's coincidental that this self-doubt is creeping in at a time when I have developed some disconcerting health issues.
My remedy? Don't try to muddle through the writing. Give it a break. Give yourself a break. It's time to play some Stardew Valley - a video game that brings me joy and allows me to be the farmer I could have been.
And don't think I haven't thought about writing fan fiction for Stardew Valley - it's the only way I'll ever marry "Elliott."
Thanks, Ellen, for good advice and great quotes for re-instilling confidence in our creativity.
Hi Jennifer,
The fall and winter holidays entering the mix can add to that exhaustion. You take care of you!
I'm glad you've found the article useful.
I wonder how much self-doubt is generated because we ignore the fact that we should write first for ourselves. We should write our stories the way we want (actually, the way the stories want, if we learn to listen to them). And we write because we must: we cannot NOT write. Readers don't have to read our stuff, and they don't have to like it. There's always another audience out there, somewhere. Will we find it? Maybe. Maybe not. But that's really not the reason we write, is it?
I've (self)published two novels and am at work on a historical novel. All took and are taking years (the published ones: decades) to complete. Hey, life got in the way ... But I kept coming back to them, because the muse kept poking at me. It never lets me be, so I've learned to listen to it, more than to myself.
A friend who read my second novel, in which the two main characters are psychically linked, really tore into its flaws. One of those flaws was not a flaw at all: The two characters sounded a lot alike. Of course they did! They were spiritual soul mates. I almost asked her if there was anything in the book that she likes - I probably should have ... But that criticism did not deter me from continuing to write. That was one person's opinion. I have numerous kudos from others.
There's no such thing as perfection; we can only strive to get as close to it as we can. Nobody has the authority to dictate what we can or cannot, should or should not write. (Notice how "author" is the primary part of the word "authority.") We need no one's permission to write. No one else can write our own stories. We own them!
The jealous and the lazy work hard to control us and stifle our words, but we are not obligated to heed them. After all, who died and put them in charge?
Hi Sally,
Oh, that pesky muse, and thank goodness for the muse.
Self-doubt can rise from so many different directions that it's hard to pinpoint the exact cause. But I think you have a good idea there regarding to whom we are writing.
Wonderful, helpful post, Ellen. Self-doubt is truly a scourge for many of us writers. It always hovers in the background, but can be ignored.
It held me back for many years. Learning writing craft helped me, but didn't banish it. Being published in various online magazines didn't remove it. Self-publishing novels that found readers also didn't end it. As you noted, the roots often go back to childhood and become part of the negative self-talk which can be so corrosive. We need to learn how to manage it and ignore it, especially the inner critic.
You provided a very useful set of tips and actions to help muzzle the inner critic and quiet self-doubt.
Hi Dale,
A difficult childhood can definitely be a culprit behind self-doubt that carries on through adulthood.
A good mantra is "You are not broken."
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I'm an author with dyslexia... So self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the anxiety they create are old bedfellows of mine. (Even though there is a long, proud history of established dyslexic authors.) Thank you for your article, Ellen. For me, it is timely and helpful.
Hi Leanne,
Yes, there are many talented people who are also dyslexic. It is definitely a struggle. I am certain that others would benefit from learning how you manage.
I'm glad you found this article useful!
Thank you for this encouragement, Ellen.
Constructive and positive guidance, Would love to believe this could be tfrue, but what if the most comprehensive
negativity comes from those closest of all - Birth family ?
Hi Esther,
This is why I mentioned childhood issues. It's never easy. However, we can use life experiences in our writing. It can be cathartic. I have done this and it helped me.
Thanks for this post. Ellen. I especially like your point that helping others can help one's own doubts.
I've spent a lot of time working on my self-confidence in general as well as as it relates to my writing. That has helped. The other thing that has helped is recognizing and naming the emotions I'm feeling. Doubt, fear, whatever. Once I identify the emotions, I can usually identify why I'm feeling that way. Sometimes it has to do with childhood traumas, sometimes it's because I know I wrote something that wasn't true to me and when I fix that, the doubt is gone--mostly. lol.
Doubt is something that will always be with me to some degree. Acknowledging that it exists and that I can regulate my emotions and work despite my self doubts was probably the most important part of learning to deal with self-doubt for me.
Hi Lynette,
We are all works in progress. You definitely have a good method for acknowledging and dealing with self-doubt. Awesome!
I do, and I try to remember what I've accomplished.
Hi Denise,
You make an excellent point. It's helpful to remember all that we've accomplished. I think sometimes we focus more on our deficits and forget about the work we've done.
Thank you for this article, Ellen. Your suggestion to build self love is helpful - to think of building value and respect for myself in order to be able to withstand the doubts that seem inevitable is something I had not considered. I keep hoping the doubt will go away, but instead, I think I will focus on building the value and self respect and let the doubts shrink in comparison.
Hi Jolie,
Looks like you have a good, solid plan. We are all works in progress.
Cheers!