Overcoming Self-Doubt
I may have written a post about this in the past. If I have, I’m writing this again because you’re always going to come across self-doubt, but you’re going to learn new ways of coping with it, of understanding how it has improved you as both a person and writer.
Self-doubt is ridiculously common among writers since the arts are so difficult to begin with. For one thing, it’s difficult to make a living off writing. For another, even when you do find a literary agent, there is no guarantee that agent will find a house for you. Even when you do find a publisher, there’s no guarantee that publisher will take on subsequent books from you. Even when you do find a publisher and have your novel published, there’s no guarantee that the publisher won’t fold. Or that your book will even sale at all.
So with all of these negative factors, how does one keep from caving in to self-doubt?
- Remind yourself that all writers feel like failures at one point or another. This sounds negative, but it’s really not. It’s only reassurance and comfort that even your most favorite authors have felt this way at some point. But they kept persisting. If they hadn’t done so, you wouldn’t have found a book worth holding on to. Even if it’s just one reader whose life you’ve changed, you still affected someone’s entire world.
- Remember writing will always be there. Unlike other things in life, which can only be done for a certain amount of time–like ballet–writing will always, always be there, even if you have to take a break from it to distance yourself from the process and gain a new perspective. So you don’t need to rush the publication process because it can happen at any point in your life. You may not get published in your 20s, but you can in your 30s, or 40s, or 50s…as long as you still have a functioning mind.
- Be upset. If you don’t let yourself feel that burgeoning disappointment, it’s going to eventually come to a head, and you’re going to be more likely to want to give up on writing. So when you get a rejection and you feel that initial sting, let yourself be upset or mad or whatever. Just make sure you know how to cope with those feelings so you don’t start replying to rejection letters with angry words.
- Write something else. If your current project is killing you with self-doubt, put it away and work on something else. After the loss of my publisher, I retreated to poetry for a little bit, which proved to be very therapeutic for other areas of my life. I also had two poems published during this time.
- Read. Not only does reading allow you to keep up on your skills while you’re distancing yourself from your project, but it can also keep your imagination alive and active. Books can keep you dreaming about the publication of your own book, too. Plus, many of the authors you read have been rejected a myriad of times before finding publication.
- Remember you’re a writer. From what I understand, most people generally don’t choose to be writers. Writing chooses you. It’s just something that happens. It’s something you discover you enjoy, for whatever reason. Why do some people enjoy it and others don’t? Who knows. But all writers write, and so you must, too.
Self-doubt is an abysmal feeling, but it doesn’t have to cripple you. If you allow it to cripple you, then you’re going to have a much more difficult time at finding success with your writing. Writing is difficult as it is. Don’t make it harder on yourself.
I greatly appreciate everyone who likes and re-blogs my stuff, because just about every post I write now eventually goes viral! And I do have a surprise planned to thank all of you for being so supportive of me and my blog! <3