A writer’s mindset can be easily derailed by unsupportive comments, imposter syndrome and striking out with queries. 

It’s difficult to ignore the continuous loop of your inner critic shouting, “You’re not good enough!”

Our subconscious thinks it’s helping, keeping us safe. 

But instead, it feeds us fears and insecurities that stop us from accomplishing our writing goals.

It’s the plight of all writers.

Self-doubt will creep up on us throughout our creative journey.

Active mindset work and reframing negative thoughts are crucial to building a healthy, confident writer identity.

Today, I’ve compiled a round-up of blog posts with insights and resources to help you navigate your mindset shift and get excited to write again!

Starting with a few posts from my blog, I’ll end with additional excellent reads from other writers on the web.

Comparing yourself to other writers, especially those who are published or have a large following, will likely feed upon your self-limiting beliefs. In this blog post, you’ll find 5 things to remember when comparing yourself to other writers is getting you down. From recognizing that your story is different from theirs to reflecting upon your progress and assessing your value, you’ll discover reflection questions to help you reassert your writer identity.

Read the post here!

The previous blog post focused on reframing negative thoughts, here you’ll find 3 actionable steps filled with a series of tools to help kick self-doubt to the curb! Discover how clarifying your “why,” your reason for writing and identifying small wins will help you regain confidence. Consider the benefits of a supportive writer community and learn how to combat imposter syndrome using the tools set out in this post.

Discover these strategies here.

This blog post is all about answering the question, “What does success as a writer look like for you?” Here, you’ll find 5 guiding steps to help you reconsider attributing success as a writer to just traditional views of publication. You’ll get to analyze both quantitative and qualitative measurements for success. Plus, at the end of the post, you can sign up to download a free reflection worksheet filled with prompts to guide your development of a fulfilling writerly lifestyle.

Get started here!

An excerpt from Amy L. Bernstein’s book, Wrangling the Doubt Monster, featured on Jane Friedman’s blog, this article is a manifesto for artists experiencing self-doubt. Bernstein reminds us that we all doubt ourselves and as much as we’d like to vanquish self-doubt, attempting to do so will have us spiralling further into self-limiting beliefs. The cure? Leave the doubts alone and get on with the business of writing. 

Learn more about her book and read the full excerpt here.

Featured on nownovel.com, this blog post written by Bridget McNulty provides 8 tools to help you build your confidence as a writer. With actionable steps such as making a list of your writing faults and then seeking ways to improve, give these strategies a try to determine what works for you. 

Read about all 8 tools here.

While the title states that this letter is for beginning writers, we all need this reminder sometimes. A reminder that perseverance and finding the time to write are skills that will set you up for success. A reminder that you can listen openly to the advice of others, but there isn’t one right way to write or become a successful writer. In this letter, McNulty emphasizes that you will need resilience to forge your own path, keep learning and maintain your passion throughout the challenges faced by writers.

Read the letter here.

I hope that these 6 blog posts will help you shift your writer’s mindset so that you can regain the joy of writing and maintain a confident writer identity!

What is a piece of advice that you would give writers struggling with self-doubt?

Share it in the comments below!

Talk soon!

Julia