Insecure Writers: Self-doubt

I try to hit the mute button on my inner critic while I write. In the best of times, I sink into the story and let the flow take me away. Other times, it's more of an effort to craft the story, and it plods along. I go with that, too, because I know it's most important to get that first draft down. Revisions always follow. Multiple rounds of revisions. Followed by multiple critiques, after which there are more revisions.

Lately, I've been locked in the grips of self-doubt. It goes way beyond writer's block, which I always manage to write around by switching to another story until the problem blocking the other story comes clear. My self-doubt is so overwhelming, I couldn't write for most of December.

I forced myself to revise a story I wasn't quite satisfied with, and now it's much better, but I want readers to love it as much as I do.

This self-doubt is absolutely paralyzing. I'm simply lost. Have you ever dealt with such writing fears?

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