Wrestling With Impostor Syndrome (and Occasionally Winning)

Let me tell you a little secret. One that I, like most writers I know, don’t say out loud unless coaxed with chocolate or caffeine or the promise of a free tote bag.

Ready?

I regularly think I’m a fraud.

Yep. Impostor syndrome is basically my sidekick. My unwanted sidekick. Like a clingy ex who keeps showing up at book signings whispering, “You don’t belong here.”

You see, writing is deeply personal. We’re not assembling IKEA furniture (though honestly, my last attempt at a bookshelf made me feel equally unqualified). When you write, you’re pulling thoughts from your soul, arranging them into fragile sentences, and then sending them out into the big bad world hoping someone doesn’t say, “Well, that’s garbage.”

There’s no magical scroll that arrives by owl post declaring: “Congratulations, you are now officially a Writer™.” No license, no laminated badge, not even a quirky business card. If you’re waiting for someone to officially knight you with a pen and say, “Arise, Word Warrior,” it’s not coming.

(Although, if someone wants to start that society, call me.)

So how do you know you’re a writer? Simple.

If you write, you’re a writer.
That’s it. Full stop. No secret handshake required.

Still, impostor syndrome sneaks in, doesn’t it? Especially when you compare your behind-the-scenes messy drafts and sob sessions to someone else's curated Instagram author life. They have candles, aesthetic coffee cups, and appear to have written a novel in three days while also meal-prepping and learning Italian. Meanwhile, I’ve been “editing” the same paragraph since Tuesday and just found a cookie in my notebook. (I ate it. Obviously.)

But here’s what I’ve learned—and I want you to really let this soak in like a good moisturizer:
Self-doubt doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. It means you care.

You care deeply. About the words. About the stories. About doing it well. And honestly? That’s kind of beautiful.

So what do I do when I feel like a big ol’ fraud?

I lean on my tribe. A wonderful, weird group of like-minded writers who remind me that we all feel this way sometimes. That rejection is part of the journey, not the definition of it. And that yes, even multi-published authors sometimes feel like their cat is a better writer than they are.

We remind each other to keep writing.
To keep whispering (or shouting) “I am a writer.”
To celebrate progress, not perfection.
And most importantly, to never let that shadowy imposter in our heads silence our voice.

Because your words matter.
And so do mine.
Even if I still sometimes Google “what is a subplot” at midnight like I’ve never written a novel in my life.

So here’s to you, fellow word wrangler. Whether you’re scribbling in journals, plotting fantasy epics, writing cozy mysteries with magical dogs (hi, it’s me), or just bravely staring down that blinking cursor—

You are a writer.
And impostor syndrome doesn’t stand a chance against that truth.

DIY Audiobook. A bit of equipment, good advice and lots of patience

I want to create an Audiobook - should I? Ever since the release of book one in the "Cannabis Preacher" series of thrillers, that question has been on my mind. The "Cannabis Preacher" books were quite long. To produce an audiobook from each of the four, including voice actors and audio production with a turn key service, I was looking at around $15,000 per book. Financially, that was a non-starter for me at the time. That amount represented a LOT of books and audiobooks to sell to recover the investment, and I shelved my plan again. With the popularity of the "Magical Papillon" cozy mystery series, I found myself coming back to the growing popularity of audiobooks. I knew that audiobooks could reach a wider audience and catered to busy readers who prefer listening while multitasking. The idea of bringing my characters to life through narration excited me, as it offered a new dimension to my storytelling. The cozy mysteries were only 60-65,000...

Writers, Don’t Be a Slave to Word Count: Let the Story Speak for Itself

As writers, we’ve all asked ourselves that nagging question: “Is my book long enough? Too short? How long should it be?” It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers, obsessing over whether our work fits neatly into arbitrary word count guidelines. But here’s the truth: Word count should never dictate the quality of your story. The heart of storytelling lies in the narrative itself, not in how many pages it spans. The Pressure of Word Count From NaNoWriMo goals to publishing industry standards, writers face constant reminders about “acceptable” word counts. A novel must be 80,000-100,000 words. A novella shouldn’t exceed 40,000. Short stories have their own limits. These guidelines are helpful, but they can also be stifling. We begin to pad scenes unnecessarily or trim meaningful moments just to conform to these benchmarks. I’ve been there. I’ve wrestled with my manuscript, forcing it to stretch or condense to meet expectations. And you know what happened? The authenticity of the...

The Glamorous Life of a Writer (Or, Mostly Just Staring at a Screen)

There’s a persistent rumor floating around that writers live thrilling, adventure-filled lives. Perhaps it’s all the dramatic author portraits on book jackets—moody, windswept, staring off into the distance as if contemplating the fate of the world. Perhaps it’s the movies, where writers are always dashing off to Paris to write the next great novel in a charming café (suspiciously never interrupted by spotty Wi-Fi or overpriced croissants). I hate to break it to you, but real writing? Not quite so cinematic. In reality, my writing days mostly involve staring intensely at my screen, willing the words to appear through sheer force of will. Occasionally, I engage in deep philosophical debates with myself—such as whether my protagonist should turn left or right down a hallway (the fate of the fictional world depends on it). And let’s not forget the highly intellectual process of naming characters, which can take hours because somehow every single name I think of is either the name of ...

Thinkingdog Publishing

Search This Blog