Self-doubt as a writer is something nearly everyone experiences. Regardless of your level of success or experience, if you are a writer – or any creative – you will question your own judgment or the worth of your work at some point in time.
What is self-doubt? It is a mixture of fear, lack of self-confidence, and the habit of comparing yourself to others. Together, they form that nagging voice in your head telling you your writing isn’t good enough or your work will never be published.
Why does self-doubt occur? There are many reasons, often stemming from the hurdles found throughout the writing process, such as reading negative reviews from readers or rejections from publishers. Being creative in any capacity is a deeply personal experience. As a writer, you may feel as if you put pieces of yourself into your work. However, traditional publishing is competitive and the self-publishing market can be oversaturated – there are challenges at each step of the way. These can feel like personal attacks, which cause you to lose confidence and listen to your inner critic.
Left unchecked, it can lead to low self-esteem, writer’s block, and loss of productivity. The difference between writers who fall prey to self-doubt and writers who move past it lies in how they manage it.
Let’s look at some ways you can do that.
Accept your weaknesses just as much as your strengths
The first step in managing self-doubt is self-awareness. Try to assess your strengths and weaknesses objectively. This helps you put any feelings of self-doubt into perspective. Are you actually a “bad writer” or is plotting one of your weaknesses? Realistically analyzing the situation addresses any form of imposter syndrome – the belief that you’re not fit to be a writer.
Instead of constantly worrying about your weaknesses, accept them. Recognize that you may need to work on something. Then, try to see them as opportunities for growth. Adopt an “always learning” mentality: read how-to books, take writing classes, join a workshop or community. Doing so challenges the voice that says, “You don’t know what you’re doing.” Yes, you do. And even if you don’t know something right now, the mindset of continuous learning means you will know.
Ignore your inner critic
It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But it’s not. In fact, it’s quite difficult to shut down the voice in your head that whispers “I’m not good enough” or “No one will want to read this.” These thoughts aren’t just unhelpful – they’re rarely grounded in reality.
If you can’t turn your inner critic off, take a neutral approach to it. Whenever doubts start appearing in your mind, notice them, but don’t react. Let them come and go. From there, practice replacing them with positive affirmations.
Build yourself up
You deserve to hear positive feedback about your work from yourself. Say things that directly refute whatever your doubts are (ex: “I am capable of writing” or “I am growing as a writer”) as well as things about your work that you like (ex: “I enjoy the dynamic between my protagonists” or “The plot development in Chapter 5 is strong”). Over time, these affirmations can help rewire your thinking to be more supportive.
You can build yourself up in other ways too: listen to music, journal, or do an activity that makes you feel good about yourself. When journaling, you could practice self-confidence and compassion or you could write down all of your negative thoughts to throw them away.
Celebrate your wins
No matter how small they are, celebrate each win as it comes. They are all important, whether a win is that you feel energized to sit down to write today, you successfully ignored your inner critic, you received positive feedback from a reader, or you finished your second draft.
To make it easier, create a location for your wins (ex: a paper/digital file, a Word document, a corkboard on your wall). Each time you experience a win, add it. These can be short descriptions, photos, videos, reviews, and even samples of your writing.
When doubt creeps back in, look at this amazing collection of wins to remind yourself of what you’ve accomplished. It is hard evidence against anything your inner critic may throw at you. It says you’re bad at writing? Well, that incredible passage saved in your wins folder tells a different story. Was it really you who wrote that? Yes, it was! And you can write more of that quality!
Look at your success, not someone else’s
Comparing yourself to others can be a major trigger for self-doubt. Remember: what you see on social media are people’s best moments. You don’t know what their struggles look like – though, if you did, you might realize they’re very similar to yours.
Instead of letting these comparisons eat away at your confidence, focus on your own work. Fill your mind with thoughts about what you’re going to write next, leaving as little room as possible for what others are doing. Remember, you have a unique story to tell, one that only you can bring to life. Admire your favorite writers, but don’t try to be them. Your voice is distinct, and that’s something to take pride in.
Let yourself write trash
Get rid of the pressure of perfection. Instead, give yourself permission to write badly. Sometimes self-doubt latches onto what “good” writing looks like. You don’t need to write “good.” You just need to write. So allow your creativity to flow by writing something nonsensical or laughably bad. You can always fix it later.
Be reasonable: understand setbacks happen
Setbacks and mistakes are inevitable. Rejections, negative feedback, plot holes, creative blocks – they will happen soon or later. But that doesn’t mean they define you as a writer. And they definitely shouldn’t be taken as a sign that you shouldn’t write. You’re not done writing until you choose to give in to defeat. If you are going to, stop reading now.
If you’re still here, then you’re ready to see setbacks as learning opportunities. You have a problem? Figure out how to solve it. If you can’t, find someone who can and learn from them. Remember, you’re not the first writer to face these challenges, and you certainly won’t be the last.
Find the right support
You may find there are people in your life who misunderstand or even disapprove of your writing. If that’s the case, don’t go to them for encouragement. Listening to their commentary will only open you up to more doubt.
Instead, find someone you can go to any time for encouragement. It can be a partner, a parent, a sibling, a friend – whoever they are, they should be your cheerleader, someone who can offer inspiration, motivation, and kind words without fail.
Once you’ve done that, seek out other writers. Find a space where you can share your doubts and struggles with others, and listen to their experiences in return. Having others validate and support you can give you the boost you need to get back in the game.
Learn your triggers
Then avoid them. Makes sense, right?
Stop engaging in actions or behaviors that make you spiral into self-doubt. That can look like scrolling through Facebook groups with other writers or looking at the number of sales someone made on their latest book. Find out what makes your inner critic jump into the front of your mind then alter your habits to stop that from happening.
Do things that inspire you
If you’ve posted your work anywhere and have received positive feedback from readers, go through those. Pin up your favorite ones.
Make a mood board for the chapter you’re working on. Create a planner for that project you think about every spare second. Design your characters in an online generator.
Whatever you find joy in and makes you feel excited about your work, do those things. They will not only inspire you to write but also boost your productivity and confidence.
Remember that some doubt is healthy
Doubt is part of our minds. It is a coping mechanism for setbacks. It is what keeps us from doing things that are too risky. However, you must learn to differentiate when your levels of doubt are reasonable and when they are hurting your creativity. You shouldn’t aim to completely remove your doubt but to manage it. Learn to be okay with some amount of doubt lingering in the back of your mind. It will help keep you on track throughout your writing journey.
Remember, overcoming self-doubt is not about silencing your inner critic forever but about learning to live with it and not letting it control your writing journey. You have a story to tell, and only you can tell it. Trust in yourself, embrace your weaknesses, learn from them, and keep writing.