Handling Self-Doubt as a Writer by Jeremy D Vance

Like a cunning wolf hot on your heels, self-doubt as a writer can be a difficult beast to dodge. In the midst of writing our manuscripts, the feeling our writing is terrible and only worth throwing in the trash (or deleting). Every one of us writers is bound to have episodes where the burden of self-doubt is heavy upon us.  We leave our WIPs in frustration and it may be hours, days, or weeks before we return. A whole section of time lost and can’t be recovered. How can we wrestle and win against this opponent?

First, we recognize the ongoing presence of our opponent. We will always face self-doubt as we work our way through our poetry, fiction, and non-fiction whether we write for youth or not. Spanish author Antonio Muñoz Molina said, “As a writer, you live in permanent self-doubt; you’re on permanent trial.” We are human and bound to criticize our writing or ourselves harshly. By realizing the presence of our enemy, we are better prepared to enter into these tough periods.

Second, we recognize writing requires a focus on the goal. When self-doubt appears, we must take a long view of things. It’s easy to examine our first drafts and consider them garbage as we write them. We must set our sights on the end rather than our opponent or even what we are currently writing. A first draft most likely will be junk, but revision will refine and polish those first words. Let’s set our sights on the end and press on through the doubt. Anthony Doerr, 2015 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, said this, “I found my first novel difficult. I don’t want to make it sound like it’s any more difficult than driving a cab or going to any other job, but there are so many opportunities for self-doubt, that you just kind of need to soldier on.”

Third, we recognize we must find a group of supporters. We can find a great group of encouragers from the writers on Twitter at #writingcommunity or #writerscommunity. If we express to them our self-doubt or what some call Imposter Syndrome, people will band together to lift us up and help us through this process. If we are on Instagram or Facebook, we can find supportive people there too. Writer Israelmore Ayivor said,  “Two main categories of people are needed in your circle; those who give you the necessary support to accomplish your dreams and those who become beneficiaries of what you achieve.”

If self-doubt dogs us, let’s bite back with these three steps. It may always oppose us, but we needn’t be overcome by it, rather let’s defeat it instead.