A few times I brought my high school English papers to my dad for him to look over. Trained as a newspaper editor, he’d reach into his desk drawer and pull out either a red pen or a soft black pencil he used at work.
Sometimes he’d mark it on the fly while I was standing there, narrating his reasoning as the pencil left ominous black marks on the paper.
Other times I’d leave it with him and return to find entire paragraphs X’d out, words and phrases circled or deleted, giant question marks in the margins, and arrows pointing out problems here, there, and everywhere.
If I still had a copy of those drafts, I know now—as an adult—that his corrections significantly improved my work.
As a teen, though, I didn’t see it that way. Corrections felt like criticism, and I walked away dejected.
I wasn’t good enough.
What’s your story?
Have you endured an interaction where someone gave you the impression or outright told you that when it comes to writing, you aren’t good enough?
Did a parent, teacher, or editor offer criticism that caused you to question your writing hopes and dreams?
More recently, has anyone asked you to write something you’ve never attempted before and you thought, “I’m not good enough to write that?”
Have you signed up for a writing course only to realize your classmates seem far more experienced and knowledgeable—each time you turn in a project, their harsh comments cause your heart to crumble like one of those buildings that implodes and collapses into rubble?
Have you started work on a writing project feeling bold and brilliant—maybe you got some positive remarks from a few people—and then you’re suddenly hit with imposter syndrome, and you think: “I’m not good enough to do this!”?
You’re not alone.
Many writers fear they aren’t good enough, and some never get a project off the ground because the fear takes over. It shuts down their creativity and keeps them from finishing. If they manage to finish, they’re too afraid to share it with the world.
Fears Upon Fears
The fear of not being good enough is often tangled up with other struggles and fears so that we have fears upon fears:
- fear of judgment
- fear of criticism
- fear of rejection
- fear of failure
- imposter syndrome
- people pleasing personalities
- perfectionism
- self-doubt
- insecurity
- anxiety
We’re complex people and some of us are a bundle of neuroses. Understanding ourselves can give us insight into our writing roadblocks. As we identify our fears, we take a step toward overcoming them.
Write the story behind your fears
That’s my first suggestion: write about it. Write the story behind your fears. Not for publication; rather, write about it in a private journal, for your own benefit.
If you feel you aren’t good enough to write, ask yourself why you believe that.
Write out scenes from your past where that message came through. Recall the scowls and frowns, those jabs and insults, those question marks and arrows and X’d out paragraphs that you carried with you into adulthood. Root out the experiences that have formed your unchanging, stifling belief. Sort out the complexities.
When fears cause us to stop
Whether comparing themselves to other writers or feeling haunted by criticism from their past, writers can struggle with crippling fear that they are not good enough.
Sometimes it manifests as self-doubt that nips at every word they tap out on the keyboard.
Sometimes it manifests as perfectionism that expects such shimmering prose that the writer gives up, feeling incapable of producing such high-level work. The fear of not being good enough can stir up insecurity in any writer, especially those plagued with paralyzing perfectionism.
Facing all those fears, they stop writing altogether.
Is that you?
Tell yourself a different story
Well, my friend, it’s time for your story to end differently. We’re changing things up. I’m introducing a plot twist.
Stop telling yourself that story. You explored and exposed some critical scenes in your journal. Well that’s the end of that scene.
The curtain drops.
Act III begins today. The turning point is here.
You’re going to stop letting fear hold you back.
You’re going to write a new ending.
You’re going to tell yourself a different story
Take action, today, to improve your writing skills and increase your confidence. That’s how you’ll combat the fear—you’re going to get better, stronger, clearer, sharper. You’ll stop comparing yourself and feeling small; you’ll grow as a writer and feel strong. You’ll try new techniques. You’ll push yourself behind the scenes so you can emerge transformed.
Don’t give up when you’re questioning whether or not you’re good enough. Don’t be afraid.
Instead, do something to become a better writer.
Become a better writer
This topic came from a real writer struggling with a real fear. And I want that person and you, if you find yourself with similar fears, to feel empowered.
So for the next few weeks, we’ll discuss how you can develop a plan to face this fear with action.
Don’t worry any longer if you’re good enough or not good enough. Starting today, take action that will make you a better writer regardless of what stage you’re at, how much experience you have, or how old you are.
You can get better. We all can get better. Doesn’t every writer want to improve?
We think others have “arrived,” but, we’re all just learning. Ernest Hemingway said, “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
In the next episode, we’ll work at being apprentices as we consider practical ways to become a better writer.
Resources:
- Ep 164: Writing Fears and How to Overcome Them: Fear of Rejection
- Ep 108: When Writers Compare: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- Ep 127: The Paralysis of Perfectionism
- Submissions: How to Bounce Back After an Editor Turns You Down (Ep 100; includes Rejection Rituals)
- Submissions: To Get a Yes, You Risk a No (Ep 99)
- Ann’s Patreon account
- All podcast episodes
This content was inspired by ideas submitted by newsletter subscribers. Would you like to throw your own question or struggle into the mix? If you’re a subscriber, reply to one of the newsletters with your idea. If you’re not yet a subscriber, sign up using the form at the bottom of this post or in the sidebar. You’ll get my welcome message and next time I send out a newsletter, it’ll land in your inbox. Reply to any of those notes from me with your own question or idea. I’d love to hear from you.
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