Did you ever stare at a blank page or screen for so long your eyes went funny? Or rewrite a sentence fifteen times and then finally delete it altogether? Or convince yourself you’re not really talented enough to be a writer at all? Well then, you might learn something from this post, because it’s my ideas about how to overcome that kind of self-doubt as a writer.
Why I’m Writing This
As someone who helps other writers, I often get messages like this:
Dear Graeme,
I really want to write a novel, and I’ve written part of one, but can’t help feeling it’s not very good. My friend who I showed it to said they didn’t understand the plot or like the characters. I think maybe I’m not talented enough to be a writer. Should I give up?
Regards,
Mr/Ms Aspiring Author
It’s sad to read these messages, and I sympathise. Which is why I’m going to suggest some practical ways of overcoming this kind of self-doubt.
First: the Reality Check
Before I start, let’s take a moment for a friendly reality check.
Your first novel probably won’t be a masterpiece. But guess what? That’s absolutely normal.
Writing, like any skill, takes time to learn. You wouldn’t expect to grab a paintbrush and be able to paint the Mona Lisa, would you? You wouldn’t expect to sit down at the piano and be able to play a symphony.
The same goes for writing. It’s a craft that requires practice, practice, and more practice, just as much as painting or playing a musical instrument does.
Many superb writers didn’t get their first novel published. We’ve all got a first try hidden in a drawer somewhere. Lots of us have second, third and fourth tries in there too. The thing is, we kept going, learnt our lessons, improved as writers and eventually wrote something that was publishable. And so can you.
Which brings us on to the talent myth.
Self-Doubt as a Writer: The Talent Myth
Thinking that writing is about being a genius who just sits down and knocks out a masterpiece without even trying is one of those glamourous myths that the media loves. They’re always writing stories about ‘geniuses’ who ‘came from nowhere’ and are an ‘overnight success’.
These stories are, to be generous, highly exaggerated.
For example, Marina Lewycka had been writing for thirty years before A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian became an ‘overnight success’. She’d written several other unpublished novels before she ‘came from nowhere’. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is a great novel, but it’s great because of thirty years of practice, learning and not giving up, not ‘genius’.
Now, about talent. Yes, it’s a thing. Some people, for whatever reason, write more inspired prose than others. But persistence and a willingness to learn are more important in the long run. Talent is like a head start. It puts you ahead, but it won’t win the race on its own. To adapt a sporting phrase:
The harder you practice, the more talented you get.
So, if you’re looking at your writing and thinking it’s not as good as you’d like it to be, congratulations—you’ve just taken the first step towards making it better. In fact, I’d say one of the biggest factors in success as a writer is willingness to get feedback on your novel, listen to it and improve.
Self-Doubt as a Writer: The Amadeus Myth
So, another myth. I call this the Amadeus myth, after the scene in the movie Amadeus where Salieri, Mozart’s less talented rival, realises that Mozart hears perfect music in his head and then just writes it down with no corrections needed.
This is not a thing. It wasn’t even a thing for Mozart.
Famously, Ernest Hemingway said:
The thing is, that’s perfectly okay. In fact, it’s more than okay—it’s a normal part of the story-writing process. Your first draft is where you just blast all your ideas down on paper—it’s messy, but it’s a crucial part of a story’s development.
In fact, the last thing you need to do when you’re writing a first draft is start agonising over the fact it’s not perfect. Here’s what Ian Fleming said about writing the first draft of Casino Royale:
If you once look back, you are lost… I rewrote nothing… I obstinately closed my mind to self-mockery and “what will my friends say?” I savagely hammered on until the proud day when the last page was done.
So, that’s the secret. Don’t worry about how bad your first draft is. Embrace the fact it’s a mess. That mess is the rough diamond you’ll edit later, polishing it until it’s brilliant.
More than anything, it’s not a blank page. However bad your first draft is, it’s not as bad as nothing.
(For more on the Amadeus Myth, see Debunking the Myth of Effortless Genius)
Self-Doubt as a Writer: Criticism and Writing Groups
There’s no doubt that if you do ever get your story published, it will face some criticism. It’s impossible to please everyone, and reviewers can be mean-spirited. This, unfortunately, is part of being a published writer. You can prepare yourself to an extent by joining a writing critique group.
Joining a writing group is the absolute best thing you can do for your writing. They’re great for supporting you and really help you improve your skills. And facing the constructive critique of a writing group is great for learning to respond positively to critique. Being with other writers who understand what it’s like and take you seriously can provide a lot of encouragement and make you feel like less of an outsider. That all really helps to reduce your self-doubt.
For more on writing groups, see Why You Should Join a Writing Group.
Later, after you’ve written and published your story, if you find the criticism gets discouraging, then read dealing with criticism as an author.
Self-Doubt as a Writer: Perfectionism and Procrastination
The art of doing anything except writing is one that many writers have mastered. This kind of paralysis is insidious and there’s no simple way to avoid it, but one thing to recognise is it’s often caused by perfectionism.
Perfectionism causes paralysis because of self-doubt. We think about how the story won’t be good enough, because we’re not talented enough. We worry about what others will think about the project. This all comes back to being worried about criticism. It’s outcome-focused thinking.
Instead, it’s better to use process-focused thinking – committing to doing the best we can, deciding to engage in the process. I said earlier that we shouldn’t look back. We also shouldn’t look forward. We should just be in the moment, writing because we enjoy writing.
So, instead of worrying about the future, just aim for progress. Set achievable goals, like “write a one paragraph”. If we do that, if we write one sentence at a time, we’ll finish our stories in the end.
As the proverb says:
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
There are other anti-procrastination strategies that help, which I discuss in How to Stop Procrastinating.
Self-Doubt as a Writer: Imposter Syndrome
If you feel like a fraud masquerading as a writer, you’re experiencing imposter syndrome. You’re in excellent company, because more than one professional writer I know with multiple books commercially published feel exactly the same way. One said to me:
I feel like I’m pretending to be a writer.
Here’s the truth: there’s nothing that makes some people writers and other people not writers except:
If you write, you’re a writer. If you don’t write, you’re not a writer.
So, ask yourself, do you write? If you do, then you can hold your head up high and call yourself a writer. End of story.
Self-Doubt as a Writer: Conclusion
Writing is hard, but it’s also rewarding. So embrace the mess. Write terrible first drafts. Let go of perfectionism. Face down your critics. Procrastinate less. And when imposter syndrome comes knocking, knock it back.
Remember, every writer you admire has been exactly where you are now. The only difference is they didn’t give up.
Now, stop worrying and go write that terrible first draft!
Things to Do
- Realise becoming a publishable writer takes a lot of practice.
- Realise that innate talent isn’t as important as willingness to learn.
- Join a writing group in your local area or online.
- Use process-focused thinking to avoid perfection paralysis
- Remember that if you write, you’re a writer.
- Commit to finishing that first draft, however bad you think it is.
- Don’t give up!
Agree? Disagree?
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