The Writer’s Nook: Creating an Imposter Syndrome-Free Space
As much as we’d all love our own writing grotto (like this one—woah), it’s not widely attainable. Though, please, continue to manifest. I sure am.
I could talk about setting your writing space in a physical sense, but that differs considerably from person to person. Who am I to tell you what candle to get or which tea to brew? That fun is all up to you. However, one thing every writer has in common (unless you’re so lucky) is experiencing imposter syndrome.
In our media-based world it’s nearly impossible not to, even if it comes and goes in waves. Imagine you’re standing at the gate to a huge pasture where a horse is running wide circles along the edges. Sometimes the horse is so far away you can’t even see it, might even forget about it. But the horse always circles around to pass your end of the fence. Forgive my horse metaphor, but that’s kind of what imposter syndrome is like. You’ll be flying high in the world of your project one day, then the “horse” will circle around, and all you can think is how your book compares with everyone else’s.
Setting a space for yourself to write can be difficult with imposter syndrome blocking the way. Which is why it’s so important to be able to create a space free of it, no matter where you’re writing. So take your tea and toast, and relax. Everything’s going to be fine.
Mind Traveling
Mind Traveling (daydreaming, brainstorming, etc.) allows you to completely immerse yourself within the world of your project in an interactive way. The goal is to have everything fall away except the page and the world in your own head. The first rule of mind traveling is to eliminate as much distraction as you can. That means logging off or deleting any interfering media apps (that death stare is for you Twitter, peace and love). The more space between yourself and content overload the easier it will be to immerse yourself in your own world. No time for doomscrolling!
In my experience, perusing and curating my mood boards for 10-15 minutes before each writing session does wonders (if you haven’t created a mood board and don’t know where to start, here’s a resource). Taking time to breeze through and add to my mood boards not only allows my mind to loosen up, I’m also passively developing my project in the process!
However, there are plenty of other ways to immerse yourself, and it might take some experimentation to figure out what works best. For instance, you can spend the same amount of time researching one aspect of your piece, listening to music from your writing playlists, or working on a character chart (astrological or otherwise). Or, you might find that shuffling between options helps the most.
Prompt and Circumstance
That section title is trash, but this recommendation is not (I promise). Writing blocks are a common result of imposter syndrome, and they can be hell to break through. Sometimes a couple days’ break from writing does the trick. More often, the block needs to be smashed head on. Beginning your writing session with a prompt or writing sprints can make all the difference.
Coming up with your own prompts is a fun way to exercise your imagination, but there are also pre-mades available all over the web for your picking and choosing pleasure. Write or Die Tribe has an extensive list of daily prompts that update weekly, so you’ll never run low! TikTok is also a great place to search, with so many authors and craft professionals posting daily. For instance, Erik Patterson is one creator whose background in screenwriting makes for some intensive daily prompts. Searching through the #writingprompts tag is also worth a go. Using TikTok as a prompt source also gives you access to moving visual prompts (see here) to help further activate the imagination. If you have a writer pal, ask if they want to do prompts and sprints together for accountability. It’s nice knowing that you and other people are racing against the clock together.
Reminding to Remember
Everyone has a reason why they started writing. Big or small, projects don’t always need huge cosmic meanings behind them. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in getting the book done, or feeling like we need to write in a certain way to ensure its success, we forget the reason why we began writing it in the first place. Thinking about the reasons behind your project as well as the hopes you have for it can be the key to getting back into it.
Before your writing session, get out a piece of paper or open a blank document. Then list or journal about what this project means to you. It sounds cheesy, but it’s essential. A confidence booster that gets your fire of excitement burning brighter. Here are some questions to get you going:
Who is this book for? Who are you writing for?
What is your favorite scene(s) you’ve written and why?
Who is your favorite character(s) in your project and why?
Who would you love to see reading this book (a loved one, a celebrity, your mentor, etc.)?
Where do you want to see this book go (adapted into a film or TV show, published internationally and translated into different languages, made accessible to people who need it most, etc.)?
If your characters could communicate with you, what would they have to say about the project?
Curating a mentality of excitement and play is just as if not more important than building a comfortable physical space. Next time imposter syndrome passes your gate, experiment with these ideas. Dismissing that beast is much sweeter than any candle you could burn.
