The Shadow Behind Your Ink - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a Fiction Writer

I am not afraid to say that all writers, especially fiction writers, have experienced that stage where we are just staring at a blank page and we can feel it taunting us.

You know that voice that tells you that “this your story is not good enough” “no one would read this,” that is an imposter’s syndrome.

You know you are an excellent writer. That is why you picked up a pen in the first place, but imposter syndrome will try to convince you that you are a fraud and that it will soon expose you.

This negative self-talk is one of the worst things that could happen to a writer because how would you complete a book that you have convinced yourself is not good enough?

Symptoms of imposter syndrome in fiction writers include:

Self Doubt: This is when you just can’t stop questioning your abilities. You start triple-checking if there are any holes in your plot, writing, and character development.

Comparing yourself to other writers: I mentioned reading other author’s works in my last article but I also want you to know that reading other author’s work doesn’t equate to comparing and feeling like you don’t measure up.

Fear of failure and success: Sounds weird, doesn’t it? Imposters syndrome will make you so afraid of not meeting your editors or client’s expectations and will also make you feel you don’t deserve it when you do meet their expectations.

To overcome this syndrome, try these strategies:

Try positive affirmations: Normally, I would say refrain from negative self-talk, but I know there are always creeping thoughts from that voice in our heads. So instead, anytime these thoughts come up, try saying positive things about your current project.

Focus on the process: Being goal-oriented is good, but sometimes we focus too much on the result we want and lose track of the process. Every perfect book did not become perfect in a day. Your favorite authors had bad manuscripts too, so don’t beat yourself up by chasing perfection. Work up to it slowly. Be kind to yourself and your work!

Celebrate small wins: Acknowledge and celebrate your progress no matter how small you think it is. This would improve your mental state more than you think.

Stop setting unrealistic goals: Setting SMART goals is important in writing too! We writers set goals that are not specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound sometimes and then beat ourselves up when we can’t meet the goal. Don’t burn yourself out just because you want to meet an unrealistic deadline.

Don’t ignore the feeling of Imposters syndrome: This was a mistake that I made early in my career when I started sharing my work as an author and a ghostwriter. I kept pushing the feeling away till I fell into a rut and I didn’t write for months after that. You have to acknowledge and deal with that feeling immediately after you recognize it. Having imposter syndrome doesn’t make you less of a writer. It makes you human and there is nothing wrong with that. Just make sure you deal with it healthily!