How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome As A Writer (Collaboration)

This is a collaboration I’m doing with the wonderful and talented Pooja G. from Lifesfinewhine blog here on WordPress. We decided to guest write on each other’s blogs as part of a series on imposter syndrome. Read my post on her blog here.

What Is Imposter Syndrome?

Although “imposter syndrome” has gained more attention in the last few years thanks partly due to social media platforms like TikTok, it’s still something that not too many people know about. Merriam-Webster defines imposter syndrome as “a psychological condition that is characterized by persistent doubt concerning one’s abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one’s ongoing success” (source: impostor syndrome)

How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome As A Writer

Oftentimes, imposter syndrome affects certain groups more than others. Women and minorities tend to more often be victims of imposter syndrome. However, in this article I thought we could concentrate on writers.

As a content creator and a writer, I can say that I have absolutely experienced imposter syndrome, especially when I first started out. Being a young and dumb eighteen year old can be a lot of fun but it comes with its set backs. I was barely eighteen when I started the blog and going from writing barely anything to writing for an audience among people who were so much more experienced than myself was daunting.

I would frequently visit other blogs and read their content and be in awe of their writing. And the imposter syndrome got worse as my blog began to take off. I was growing extremely quickly in my first few years as a blogger and even though I was really happy about it, a small part of me still felt like I was not good enough to get so much traffic and so many followers. Like I didn’t belong.

This isn’t something I’ve talked about often but I know that some of you out there, especially some of the newer bloggers, may be experiencing something similar so I thought I would share some of the things that really helped me overcome my imposter syndrome that may also help you do the same:

Fake It

One thing I’ve learnt is that “fake it till you make it” is not just a cliche. It’s actually pretty helpful advice for a number of things. When it comes to imposter syndrome and feeling doubtful about your abilities as a writer, faking it may actually help.

Even if you don’t feel confident about your writing or feel like something about it will make people dislike it even when you know deep down that’s not true, try to fake it and be confident. Make sure you keep writing and sharing your work even when you don’t feel like or even when you catch yourself second guessing your writing. Keep applying for writing jobs, even the ones that sound like you are not qualified enough for them.

Eventually, you will come to realise that you’re not just faking it anymore. You will start to feel more confident in yourself and your writing.

Accept Failure

As a writer there are going to be challenges that you face and you may not always come out on top. The unfortunate truth of the matter is that we can’t always win. In all areas of life, we are bound to fail at some point. However, how we handle this failure is extremely important.

If you’re experiencing imposter syndrome, every small failure may feel like confirmation that you’re a fraud or like you’re not good enough. However, instead of letting failures get you down, try to acknowledge that you belong and deserve good things. You just need to understand that failure is a part of life and it does not define you.

Count Every Little Win

One thing that I have found more beneficial than anything is to celebrate every little thing. It may sound weird since we’re so trained to be modest but in my opinion celebrating wins is important. It reminds you that you aren’t an imposter but in fact someone who does belong.

Writing is not something everyone or anyone can do. It takes a lot of courage and talent. Your writing may be different or you may be different but that doesn’t mean your work isn’t great in its own way. Celebrating wins is a great way to remind yourself just how talented you are.

Practice Makes Perfect

Sometimes, that feeling of not belonging may also be present because you are new to what you’re doing. As they say, practice makes perfect. Once you do something for a while, you slowly start to be more confident in your skills and ability.

I have noticed that this is also often the case with writing. When you first start out, you may feel raw and nervous especially when you start actually succeeding. You may feel like you’re not good enough and don’t deserve recognition.

But over time, that feeling will go away and you will start to feel much more confident in yourself and your writing. My biggest advice would be to just keep writing no matter how nervous it makes you.

Conclusion

I hope these tips were helpful for anyone who is struggling with imposter syndrome especially if they are a writer. A lot of us have been there and it does get better. Remember not to give up and believe in yourself and your talent.

I want to thank Melodi Umoh for collaborating with me. It was great writing on a topic I don’t talk about too often and that would never have happened had she not suggested writing about “imposter syndrome.” I would love it if you took a minute to check out the amazing post she wrote for my blog:

5 Things You Can Do to Stop Feeling Like an Imposter

Title banner designed by Pooja G.