This post is all about how to overcome self-doubt as a writer so you can achieve your writing goals and enjoy the writing journey.
Do you ever find yourself questioning your writing abilities, wondering if you’re actually good enough to write a book? You stare at the blinking cursor, asking yourself, “What if I can’t finish my novel? What if I do finish it… but nobody likes it?”
Relax, dear Happy Writer, you’re in excellent company. Every great author at some point has faced self-doubt! Self-doubt is simply part of an author’s journey. It usually shows up because we’re our own toughest critics, and because we genuinely care about putting our best work out into the world. And we really should strive to put our best work out there. But when self-doubt takes over, it often prevents writers from writing, finishing, and sharing their work at all.
In this post I’m going to share with you 6 tips on how to overcome self-doubt as a writer so you can become a more confident writer, achieve your writing goals, and finally have the confidence to share your stories with the world without fear holding you back. So let’s dive in and see how to overcome self-doubt as a writer while having fun writing.
If you prefer the video version, check out the YouTube video below to discover how to overcome self-doubt as a writer.
Tip #1: Embrace self-doubt as a normal part of writing
From Stephen King to J. K. Rowling to Nora Roberts, no matter how famous they are, every author has had to deal with self-doubt at some point in their career.
When you feel self-doubt creeping in, here’s an important thing to remember: self-doubt doesn’t come from you not being good at writing. It comes from caring deeply about your work. You love your story, your characters, and the world you’ve created. You’ve poured your heart and soul into it. And now it’s time to share it with the world.
But then self-doubt starts to surface, and you wonder, “What if my story isn’t good enough?” “What if people read it and think I have no business being an author?”
At least these are some of the fears I’m struggling with at the thought of publishing my book. Do you experience similar fears? While these feelings can be absolutely terrifying at the beginning of your publishing journey, I don’t think they will ever completely go away.
However, I believe that the more you show up, and the more you face your fears, the quieter your inner voice of self-doubt will become. And it’s okay if it doesn’t completely disappear. That little bit of doubt might actually be helping you to constantly push yourself to improve your craft. And it’s helping you put your best work out there.
Just make sure to keep that voice in check. Don’t let it stop you from sharing your stories with the world. And you should definitely not let it steal the joy out of writing.
As long as you’re enjoying the writing process, you can overcome those feelings of self-doubt and keep pushing forward.
Tip #2: Celebrate small wins to build momentum and overcome self-doubt as a writer
Self-doubt loves perfectionism. The more you try to make your manuscript perfect, the more room you give self-doubt to take over.
But you know truly helps you overcome self-doubt as a writer? Seeing that you’re making progress.
Of course, it’s great that you want to share your best work with your readers. But perfectionism slows down your book’s progress. So every day you have to keep fighting to advance your novel. And every time you do that, celebrate it!
Focusing on what you’ve already achieved, no matter how small the step towards completion may seem, it’s one of your main weapons to help you overcome self-doubt as a writer. Seeing your progress builds creative confidence, and the more confident you get, the quieter the voice of self-doubt becomes.
You might be thinking that you haven’t finished a book yet, so you have nothing to celebrate. Wrong, dear Happy Writer! You have plenty to celebrate:
- showing up to write
- reaching your word count goal for the day
- completing a new scene or a new chapter
- and even brainstorming new ideas for future scenes
All of these count as real progress and build your self-confidence, while crushing your self-doubt bit by bit with every new small win. So make sure to celebrate every small win and enjoy the writing journey every single day.
Tip #3: Create your personal cheer squad to lift you up
Writing is a pretty isolating job. Most of the time, you’re alone at your desk with lots of thoughts about your story going through your mind.
And if that’s all you were thinking about, it would be great. But we all know that’s not rarely the case. Instead, we wonder, “Will my readers like the story?” “Will I be able to finish the story?” “Should I even be writing?”
The more time you spend alone in your own head, the louder these thoughts become. And before you know it, self-doubt starts to build up, preventing you from reaching your writing goals.
But there is a way out. And the solution is both simple and fun! Establish your personal cheer squad.
Your cheer squad could be other writers you know in your town, or a writing community you join online, or even a very good friend who knows you, knows how hard you work, and understands how deeply you care about your writing.
This isn’t about being praised for your work. It’s about having supportive people around you, people who can cheer you on through your toughest writing days.
And on the days you don’t have access to them, remember that I’m here to do exactly that. I’m here to cheer you on every step of your writing journey, and I’ll keep creating videos and blog posts to offer you motivation and inspiration to keep going.
Tip #4: Develop your writing confidence toolkit to invite positivity
I LOVE motivational quotes. I have them everywhere: in a Notion file, on index cards, as desktop wallpapers, all there to keep me going through the toughest days.
Motivational quotes are perfect for a quick boost in confidence. They remind you how strong you are, encourage you to push through difficult times, and help you take things more lightly so you can enjoy the journey, not just the destination.
When self-doubt kicks in, it’s easy to fall into a downward spiral and let all those thoughts take over. And when they take over, you’re no longer focused on your manuscript. It’s your fears that become the focal point of your attention.
Reading motivational quotes and encouraging affirmations helps to shift your mind from everything that could go wrong to the things that are already going right. They remind you of your accomplishments, of who you are and what you’re fighting for as a writer. A little bit of positivity goes a long way.
Do you need some additional reinforcement? I have the perfect thing for you. I created a free set of positive affirmations for writers wallpapers that you can download using the form below. Use them as a daily reminder that you’re a happy, creative, and capable writer, someone who can achieve anything they set their mind to.
Tip #5: Overcome self-doubt as a writer by focusing on the joy of writing
Self-doubt shifts your focus away from the joy of writing and towards the fear of how you and your work might be perceived by others. When self-doubt takes over, all your worries start to resurface, and the more you dwell on them, the more your confidence slowly fades.
That’s why you need to bring the joy of writing back to the forefront. And the easiest way to do that is to reconnect with your writing purpose, to remember why you started writing in the first place.
Remember how excited you were when that very first story idea came to your mind? The passion for that project was so strong that you just had to do it.
Focus on that passion now. Focus on the joy of storytelling, on your amazing characters, and on the enchanting world you’ve created. When you start enjoying the writing process again, your perspective changes. When you stop focusing on the outcomes you’re aiming for, like publishing, reviews, or income, self-doubt will take a back seat to make room for the pure joy of writing.
When we talked about how to write when you don’t feel like writing, we talked about the power of finding or remembering your writing purpose. Remembering that spark of passion helps you beat both procrastination and self-doubt, which in turn helps you get back on track with your writing project.
RELATED POST: How to Write When You Don’t Feel Like Writing
Tip #6: Keep a “feel-good” file to highlight your accomplishments
This is not a brag file meant to inflate your ego. It’s about having a tool to remind you of how capable you are of achieving great things.
When you remind yourself of your past successes, you’re telling your brain that future successes are possible as well. This builds up your confidence and helps you overcome self-doubt.
So go ahead and create your “feel-good” file. Add to it all your personal successes, your professional achievements, kind feedback or reviews you’ve received, writing milestones, and even short snippets of your writing that you are really proud of.
I don’t personally keep a digital file for this, but I do keep my “feel-good” notes in my bullet journal. Every time I start a new bullet journal, I reserve the first two pages for what I call my “confidence boosters.” I keep there short bullet points of things I’ve achieved personally and professionally, and of the times I’ve been strong enough to get through some of the toughest moments in my life.
These notes are really powerful. They remind me of how strong I am, and they encourage me to push forward in moments of self-doubt.
Create your own confidence boosters list and review it whenever self-doubt makes you question your abilities. And remember that even if you can’t ever fully eliminate self-doubt, you can overcome it by continuing to show up, do the work, and build your confidence. You’ve got this, dear happy writer.
This post was all about how to overcome self-doubt as a writer. If you enjoyed it, you might also enjoy this post:
How to Stay Motivated to Write Without External Validation
Now it’s your turn. Let me know in the comments what are your biggest fears as a writer and what strategies do you use to overcome them?
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