Have you ever sat at your computer and wondered whether you were actually good at writing? Or wondered if anyone would ever want to read your book? Or thought that maybe you’re just deluding yourself that you could be a writer. I’ve been there. I will be there again, very soon probably. And I’m guessing that, maybe, you have too. All writers have suffered from self doubt at some point in their lives. It’s one of the biggest reasons why people struggle to show anyone their writing. One of the best ways to get over self doubt is just to push through it, but that’s easier said than done. I’ve come up with three practices you can try to help you build confidence and combat self doubt.
Share Small Things
A novel is a huge thing to put out there. There’s so much time, energy and love invested in a book it’s hard not to be scared when sharing it with the world. So maybe, instead of starting there, begin with little things. Write a blog post. Share a short story with your friends. Post a piece of flash fiction on Facebook. Put a poem in a picture on Instagram. Something little you’re not quite so emotionally invested in. If you’re doubting yourself as a writer, it’s so much easier to start out by sharing small things to build up your confidence.
Write. A Lot
The more you write, the more you improve as a writer. You work on your skills. You learn what goes into making a good book.You practice. And, most importantly, the more you write, the less energy you have to be paralyzingly afraid of sharing your work. Think about it like a blog. the first few posts you write, you’re terribly self conscious and maybe more posts get binned than go live. But by the 100th blog post, you can click that ‘publish’ button with ease. Keep writing. Keep producing. Your confidence will grow the more you write.
Write Things Not Meant To Succeed
Putting a novel out into the world is nerve wrecking. We put years of work into our books. We want them to succeed. We want people to love the story and characters as much as we do. And that makes it incredibly difficult to share, and sometimes even to believe in our works We need them to succeed. But what about writing something we’re not expecting to succeed? Put a draft story up on Wattpad as you’re writing it without expecting people to read it. Start a blog on a subject that maybe only you’re interested in. These things aren’t meant to succeed, and maybe no one will ever see them, but they are fantastic practice at putting things out into the world without the pressure of having to succeed.
These are just three things you could try to help you build your writing confidence. But, whatever else you take away from your post, I hope you will remember this. You are a better writer than you think you are. Your books are worth sharing. And there are people who will be touched by the things you write. Don’t let self doubt lie to you. You are a writer, and you do have what it takes.
I’d love to hear from you. What advice would you give to someone suffering from self doubt? Do you ever doubt yourself as a writer? How do you get past self doubt when it strikes? Let’s chat down in the comments below!
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