Writing Tip: Silencing Self-Doubt

Not gonna lie. Suck happens. Especially in the early days of anyone’s writing career. I am a firm believer in the fact that every writer always has something they can improve on, and if they’re taking writing seriously as a professional, they will actively be trying to learn and improve their skills. Life is about learning and development is about striving to be better all the time.

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But what do you do when that quest for improvement turns in on itself? How do you handle those voices in your head that tell you every word you’re writing is drivel and you’ll never be good enough? Because those voices are there and they’re loud. They can cripple the best intentions of any writer chasing their dream.

I have problems with these voices during the drafting process of every single book I write. Yep. It’s true. There’s a bit of self-doubt built into the process of writing a first draft. I think it’s because when you start drafting a book, you have no idea what you’re going to come up with. The blank page before you is a sea of white unknown. There are no guarantees and no reassurances on that page. Whatever you write, it could be awesome or it could be terrible. You don’t know, and uncertainty is fertile ground for blows to self-esteem.

So what do you do?

Of course, the only answer, simple and complex at the same time, is to write. You’re never going to know what you will come up with, awesome or suck, unless you get it out there on the page. And while this is true, it’s also one of the most frustrating pieces of advice because it’s so vague. Telling someone to ‘just write’ when their self-esteem has brought them to a standstill isn’t particularly helpful.

So here are a few more things you can do to combat it.

I like using concrete things to help me to get words on pages. I cling religiously to my daily word count goals when I’m drafting. They’re not just a practicality for me, they’re a promise. My word count goal can change depending on what I’m drafting and what else is going on in my world. Regardless of what number you set, drawing that line in the sand and sticking to it, typing one more word and one more word, no matter how sucky you think they are as you type them, can give you the motivation you need to get your writing going.

Another concrete thing that helps my writing and my self-esteem as I’m writing is outlining, or, if you’re a pantser, writing about my writing. Any time I get stuck or convince myself that what I’m writing is complete nonsense, taking a step back and writing on a pad of paper about what I’m writing (what just happened in the story, what needs to happen, why the characters are acting the way they’re acting, why I’m stuck, why I think it’s bad, what I think I’ve done well) always seems to give me a boost and clarify where I’m going.

Of course, these are concrete things that are designed to deal with an emotional problem. Sometimes the answer to getting beyond self-doubt is to take a break, take a walk, have coffee with a friend, and shoot the breeze with other writers.

A word about other writers, though. I don’t know about you, but I have a serious problem with comparing myself to other writers. It’s bad. I compare myself to other people in real life, though, too. But as bad as my tendency to compare is, every time I have actually opened up and really talked to another writer about their process and their fears and issues, it helps me to put things into perspective. And yes, then we BOTH feel better. Sharing with others is the best way to discover that we’re really not alone in this whole thing.

Self-doubt is one of those things that we just have to deal with as writers. All of the awards, accolades, and sales in the world aren’t going to take that self-doubt away from you at all times completely. But even just knowing that can help you to combat it when it rears its ugly head.

So what do you do to combat self-doubt?

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