5 Ways to Combat Imposter Syndrome
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Imposter syndrome is arguably one of the worst problems a writer can face. Many writers have probably dealt with this problem and did not realize it. Imposter syndrome is the inability to believe that one’s success is the result of their own efforts and/or skills.
In other words, it’s the brain making someone think they are a fraud. It can come in the form of a writer thinking their work is too similar to a popular author’s book and now thoughts of plagiarism are running through their brain. Sometimes it’s in the form of one believing they are not qualified enough for a job even though they have a great professional background. However this affects you as a writer, here are five ways to combat imposter syndrome and remain confident in their abilities.
1. Break the Silence
Don’t stay quiet when you feel like you are being a fraud. Talk to people you know. Maybe it’s a friend, a family member, a coworker, a stranger on the internet you just met, your agent, heck even your dog! Imposter syndrome is nothing to be ashamed of, it happens to the best of us. Just because you aren’t J.K. Rowling or Stephen King (yet) doesn’t mean you are not as good of a writer as they are. If you have people in your support team, use them. Let them remind you that you can achieve your writing goals.
2. Be Positive
If you have your support team telling you that you are good enough and you still have problems with imposter syndrome, then it’s time to start being positive about yourself. Tell yourself each morning in the mirror that you are a good writer. You are going to publish your book. You will be the next big author. It sounds silly, but it helps. Encouraging yourself each day will start to make yourself believe in the truth that your fear is trying to hold you back from – that you are good enough.
3. Make a List
Lists can be fun. Making a list to combat imposter syndrome is easier than one would think. To do this, make a list of all your qualifications, professional and personal that is relevant. When you list all your qualifications out, you will be able to physically see that your qualifications are exactly what got you where you are. There is no way you can be an imposter if you’ve done the work and developed the skills and background you need.
4. Stop Comparing Yourself
Comparing yourself to other writers or published authors is like adding gasoline to a fire. If you are in your twenties and are comparing yourself to an author who was first published as a teenager, it is not going to help combat imposter syndrome, it’s going to make it worse. One writer’s journey is not going to be everyone else’s’. It is not because you aren’t working hard enough. You are. But you do not want to be another writer, you want to be yourself. And to be yourself means that there can be no comparison to another.
5. Fake It till You Make It
If none of these other ideas help combat imposter syndrome, then fake it till you make it. If you keep pretending you are good enough, one day you will be, and you will not even realize you have stopped faking it. No one will know you are faking anything. They will think you have the qualifications and the confidence of a writer because that is what you are telling yourself.
There are other ways to combat imposter syndrome but combating it starts with yourself. It is your own fears holding you back. Seeking help from those in your circle, being positive, making a physical list for you to see, not comparing yourself to others, and faking it till you make it are all ways to combat imposter syndrome head-on.
You are good enough.
You are a writer.
Nothing and no one should make you feel like you are a fraud and that includes yourself.
Combating imposter syndrome doesn’t have to be done alone. Join our tribe of writers in our new course, 30 Days to Create a Sustainable Writing Practice, where we delve into limiting mindsets, negative beliefs about our writing and unpack the reasons we love to write while forming a practical writing routine.
Together we can achieve our writing goals and find healing in the process.
About Chelsea Wolfe
Chelsea Wolfe is a writer and mother from Fort Wayne, Indiana. She has a bachelor’s in Creative Writing & English and is currently working towards her master’s. Chelsea is an avid reader of mainly YA and Adult fiction, she writes book reviews on her site and keeps track of her reading through Goodreads. She’s written articles and stories for several sites and posts most of her work on Instagram, Wattpad and her lifestyle blog, Coffee, Children & Chaos.