How to Normalize Self-Doubt and Lean Into Writing Courage
“Finding the courage to write does not involve erasing or ‘conquering’ one’s fears. Working writers aren’t those who have eliminated their anxiety. They are the ones who keep scribbling while their heart races and their stomach churns…”
Written words have a permanence to them. They can’t blow away in the wind, forgotten as the next breath overtakes them, and that fact alone makes writing scary.
If you use your voice to make a stand, there will be others on the opposite side who will throw stones. We cannot please everyone, nor should we try.
For some of us, myself included, our biggest fears are rooted in something deeper than simple criticism. Something far more personal and fundamental to our existence—the fear of being rejected, abandoned, or unwanted.
To avoid the pain of being unwanted, we self-abandon our dreams and our voices. We question every move. We avoid being truly seen.
But this “stay safe” strategy only keeps us small.
You are not small. Neither am I.
Here’s the truth. Self-doubt and fear–they aren’t something you outgrow. It’s part of the creative process. Every writer feels that, no matter where they are in the draft or in their career.
The goal isn’t to eliminate doubt or fear.
It’s to move forward anyway.
Four Ways to Keep Going When Doubt Shows Up:
1. Find your people (because isolation makes the negative thoughts louder)
Writing alone doesn’t mean you have to be alone. When you’re stuck in your own head, doubt gets louder and more convincing. Connection disrupts that pattern. Surround yourself with other writers. Borrow their belief when yours feels shaky. Let their stories remind you what’s possible.
2. Let go of getting it “right.”
Real writing is re-writing. The work does not need to be perfect to exist. Get the idea down first, whatever it is. Then go back and rework it as many times as needed.
3. Have patience with yourself and the process
The writing and re-writing thing … it’s gonna take time. That’s okay. Lots of things get better with age. There’s no rush. You are not behind, and a book will take what it takes to create. What matters most is that you stay willing and curious and focus on the part of the process that brings you joy.
4. Understand you are not alone in the funkiness of it all
Doubt, fear, uncertainty—that “funkiness” of not knowing if it’s working or if you’re good enough—it’s part of the deal. Every writer you admire has sat in that same space.
Writing is a brave act, and it takes courage to face all that uncertainty. You are not doing that alone. Know that an army of writers out there are doing it with you, myself included.
Remember, you don’t need to have it all figured out right now. You don’t have to be brave all at once. You just have to take the next step…and then the next.
You can have doubts and fears (that’s normal). Do it anyway.
