Perhaps one of the most prominent things that holds writers back is self-doubt. Akin to impostor syndrome, having a lack of faith in yourself is debilitating, especially if you’re trying to use writing to replace a full-time income. So, how do you conquer self-doubt as a writer?
For the most part, it takes time. You can’t just wake up one day and have full confidence in your abilities. Although you’ll get short boosts from having a positive mindset, it can dissipate quickly if you’re not working on sustainability.
In other words, you need to constantly practice not succumbing to self-doubt.
8 Ways to Rid Yourself of Self-Doubt as a Writer
An important thing to keep in mind is that everyone is different, and we will all have unique experiences as writers. Some will advance quicker than others due to a myriad of factors.
With that being said, a lot of writers suffer from varying degrees of self-doubt. While some of these tips may work for you, some of them may not. And that’s OK, as long as you’re willing to discover what works best for you.
It may take a bit of soul-searching, but the payoff is worth the time invested.
1. View Your Writing Objectively (If Possible)
It’s quite difficult to view yourself objectively. This means you’re trying to remove the emotional connection to things you create. Looking at something objectively involves using pure data and facts, not personal perceptions of what’s real.
When I began as a freelance writer, I had plenty of self-doubt to go around. However, I started looking at the data from Textbroker, comparing the number of articles I submitted versus the ones that were rejected.
After clients accepted more than 5,000 pieces of content and having only three rejections (two of which were not my fault), I couldn’t say that I “sucked” as a writer. Apparently, I was doing something right that clients liked.
It’ll take some practice, but try to view your writing in a way that is removed from how you feel about it. How many words have you written today? Has anyone left a positive comment on what you’ve created? Have you sold at least one book, or have people been reading your blog daily?
2. Ignore the Inner Critic
You are your worst critic. But a lot of the time, that criticism is unfounded and void of truth or honesty. For one thing, how can you say that someone will not like a story or blog post before it’s even published? Are you a mind reader or have psychic powers?
Even Stephen King threw away Carrie before his wife pulled it out of the trash and encouraged him to finish. His inner critic didn’t think the book was worthwhile. Coincidentally, it was arguably the book that launched his career as a prolific author.
I’ve thrown away countless stories because I thought they “sucked.” The moment I stopped doing that, I found that a lot of folks actually enjoyed my writing and my stories. I’m not a best-selling author (yet), but I do have a few fans who inspire me to continue.
Don’t let the inner critic take away what could be a great career in writing. You won’t know how the path ends until you walk it.
3. Ignore the Trolls
You can’t please 100% of the people 100% of the time. Some people are going to hate for the sake of hating. These are the folks that you want to ignore, as they are simply looking to get a rise out of you.
Now, not all criticism is trolling. In fact, a lot of people will provide constructive criticism as a way to help you grow into a better writer. I’m talking about the people who give your book a one-star rating because you used a serif font.
The fact is that there are a lot of miserable people out there who want to spread that misery like a cancer. They are so unhappy in their own lives that they feel everyone should feel as they do. It’s sad, but it’s also out of your control.
Focus on the ones who read your works, who visit your blogs, or who watch your videos because they like the content. These people are your target audience, and they are the ones you want to please, not some random bottom-feeder living in his mom’s basement typing nonsense on his phone in the dark.
4. Learn More About What You Write
One of the most effective methods I used to overcome self-doubt as a writer was learning more about what I write. Not just the topic itself, mind you, but the process of structuring sentences correctly or how to deliver emotional connections in a manuscript.
Never assume that you know enough to write a “good” book. When I took the Reedsy masterclass for How to Write a Novel, Tom Bromley showed me all kinds of things I would never have thought to Google. There’s more to writing a good book than slapping words up on a page.
That’s part of why I decided to work on getting my master’s degree in Creative Writing. I also plan on moving into a PhD program afterward, but that’s a different story for another time.
The bottom line is that learning empowers you and helps fuel confidence. It’s that confidence that will help you defeat self-doubt.
5. Relish in All the Victories (Even Small Ones)
Every victory is still a victory, regardless of its size. That’s the mindset I had in the beginning, as I simply worked to write one more word today than I did yesterday. It’s through that small progression that allowed me to replace a full-time income at the school district as a freelance writer.
Did you know that roughly 3% of people who say that they want to write a book will actually finish a first draft? Then, consider that about 20% of people will publish a book that they have written. That means only 6 out of every 1000 people who say they want to write a book will actually publish one.
I tell you those numbers as a way to highlight that even if you simply finish the first draft of your book, you’re in a slim minority. That is something to be proud of, as it’s no small feat for the other 97% of writers.
Get excited for every goal and challenge you set for yourself. Anything that goes above what you’ve done in the past is reason to celebrate, as it helps you bury thoughts of self-doubt over time.
6. Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others
They say that comparison is the thief of joy. This saying means that by comparing yourself to someone else, you run the risk of detracting from your accomplishments.
For instance, instead of being excited that you wrote 500 words today (something you’ve never done), you get deflated because I can write 2,200 words in two hours. Or, perhaps someone publishes more books than you do, or someone’s blog is more popular.
Looking down on your progression as a writer only fuels thoughts of self-doubt. It can lead to giving up on your dreams because you think you’re not progressing fast enough to be successful.
All writers will progress at their own pace. As long as you’re working toward something greater, it doesn’t matter what anyone else can accomplish. Unless you’re signing up for some contest, you’re only in competition with yourself.
7. Enough with Derogatory Comments About Yourself
Derogatory comments about oneself are the most common posts I see on social media. So many writers put themselves down for one reason or another, and I personally know a couple who have quit writing altogether because of their perceptions of their skills.
I mentioned a few instances of how belief in yourself affects self-doubt. However, continuously bashing yourself can do a great deal of harm from a mental perspective. It’s a toxic behavior that has a ripple effect that will disrupt your entire way of life.
Negative comments about yourself can come in a variety of flavors. Some of the most common that I’ve seen from writers are that of being apathetic or self-defeating.
That’s when you think of things like, “What’s the point of trying if I’m just going to fail?”
Or, “I can’t do it. It’s too hard for me to try.”
At the end of the day, negative thoughts about yourself and your skills will keep you in that self-doubting phase. Stop being so hard on yourself and let your audience be the judge of good writing.
8. Consider Therapy (It Can Help)
For those who are stuck in a severe rut of self-doubt and a debilitating lack of confidence, therapy can help.
A lot of the time, these conditions are rooted in some past trauma that impacts your happiness and success. Therapy might become even more vital if those issues are taking away from your personal or professional life.
Sometimes, simply having someone safe to vent to can make a world of difference. Think of it as using a valve to help relieve pressure before you blow your top. The best part is that some therapists will give you tools to help combat a lot of personal issues in addition to self-doubt.
Unfortunately, therapy often comes with a high price tag. Luckily, most insurance carriers and Medicaid (at the moment) cover the costs. There are plenty of affordable options, and it’s worth it to you to explore them.
My Journey to Defeat Self-Doubt In My Writing
I’ve been writing professionally since 2012. Over the many years as a writer, I’ve had to adapt my way of thinking about myself, as I suffered from self-doubt much like so many others. I can’t say I’m completely cured, but I made massive strides that helped me become a full-time writer.
The biggest contributor was deciding to take action. I knew that I wouldn’t get anywhere if I continued to view myself poorly. Sure, I had enough skills to keep up with the status quo. But if I didn’t change my way of thinking, I would have spent the last 10 years spinning my wheels.
What kick-started my journey was when a client said that I should change how I accepted compliments. In the past, I would say, “I try.” It was a way to distance myself in the event someone didn’t like something. After the client’s comment, I changed my response to, “Thank you.”
And nothing more.
That single shift in how I dealt with compliments started a snowball effect that changed my way of thinking. Instead of dwelling on self-doubt, I grew to appreciate how people have different ideas of good writing.
Once, I thought a client was going to send back an article that I thought was terribly written. Instead, he gave me glowing reviews and tipped me more than the article was worth. That is the power of subjectivity.
Being a good writer is subjective to the audience. That means everyone will like or dislike something based on their personal preference. All you can do as the author is put together something you think they’ll enjoy and let the cards fall where they may.
Of course, there are things you can do that will improve audience retention, such as learning how to write better from the perspective of structure and grammar. But it will always be up to the readers to decide if it is “good” from their perspectives.
Overcoming self-doubt didn’t happen overnight. And in some regards, I still struggle a bit. However, I’m nowhere near where I was mentally and have built one hell of a career as a writer over the last decade.
I’m truly excited to see where I take myself next.
Self-Doubt Can Hold You Back
All I can really do is share the things that have helped me overcome self-doubt. It’s up to you to figure out what works best in your situation. We’re all different, and what works for one person may not be as effective for another.
With that being said, it’s always worth the work to overcome such a debilitating problem. While I can’t guarantee certain types of success, I can attest to how looking down on yourself will prevent you from accomplishing a lot.
It’s difficult to enjoy writing if you’re constantly battling yourself and those inner thoughts. Take the steps necessary to improve yourself.
You are always worth the investment of time.
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