Viewing entries tagged
self-doubt

How to Handle a Bad Writing Day

How to Handle a Bad Writing Day

Some writing days are going to more productive than others. On some days the words will flow, on others it’s like trying to cut down a tree with a herring. If you don’t make your word count for a day don’t beat yourself up. On some days you'll inevitably struggle to write anything down, the plot will seem to be falling apart and writing anything will feel like a chore. Every writer has days like these. Days when we feel like giving up. Here’s how to continue to love your writing, even on days when nothing seems to be working.

An Author Guide to Beating Imposter Syndrome

An Author Guide to Beating Imposter Syndrome

Ever felt like a fraud telling people you are a writer? You aren’t alone. Feelings of inadequacy and the fear that you will never measure up are common. Even the most successful authors, including Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Safran Foer and Maya Angelou, have talked about feeling like imposters, despite working hard to achieve success. The name for this phenomenon: imposter syndrome.

5 Ways Authors Sabotage Their Success & How to Overcome Them

5 Ways Authors Sabotage Their Success & How to Overcome Them

Writing a book is hard, yet even more difficult is admitting that you might be the biggest obstacle standing in your way. Whether you have allowed self-doubt to take over or you're simply failing to prioritize, it's time for some serious self-reflection and readjustment. Here are 5 common ways that authors sabotage themselves and how you can avoid them.

4 Ways Authors Can Overcome Rejection

4 Ways Authors Can Overcome Rejection

All authors face rejection at some point. It’s a soul-destroying, humbling experience that can lead to writers putting down their pen altogether. Yet for all the pain, rejection can be reframed as a tool for growth. I always ask authors in our interviews how they stay resilient in the face of rejection and here is the advice they shared.

Why Are You Ashamed to Talk About Your Writing?

Why Are You Ashamed to Talk About Your Writing?

If we take up a new sport or learn a language or musical instrument we don’t hesitate to tell our friends. Yet to admit to writing, not on your life! For this reason, most writing advice books begin with the sage advice to declare yourself a writer. Surely beginner music lessons don’t begin with the advice to declare yourself a musician as you pick up your instrument every day. So why does the simple act of arranging words inspire so much self-doubt and public angst?

6 Famous Authors who once Faced Rejection

6 Famous Authors who once Faced Rejection

'To be a writer is to embrace rejection as a way of life' - Dana Stabenow.

The journey of every author comes with the challenge of rejection. Throughout history, talented authors have been rejected and overlooked. Even literary geniuses such as J. R. R. Tolkien and John Steinbeck have suffered the sting of dismissal. Here’s six famous authors that once faced rejection.

Perseverance, Self-doubt & Isolation

Perseverance, Self-doubt & Isolation

Perseverance is the backbone of every successful author. The literary world is forged on tales of not giving up, from J.K. Rowling’s 12 rejection letters to Agatha Christie's five years of applying before landing a publishing deal. Every author I interviewed had something to say about perseverance. The ability to ‘keep going’ despite obstacles and set-backs is what sets successful authors apart from those that give up on their writing dreams.

Inspiration & Rejection in Writing

Inspiration & Rejection in Writing

It’s been an amazing year for WildMind Creative. We’ve had the opportunity to work with some exceptional authors and interview some outstanding writers. Coming into a fresh new year it’s the perfect time to look back over all the interviews we’ve done and consolidate what we’ve learnt. So without any further ado here are our key takeaways from a year of author interviews.

How Successful Authors Conquer Self-Doubt

How Successful Authors Conquer Self-Doubt

Creative doubt can be a crippling force, stopping you from writing or showing your work. It’s the what-if questions asked late at night – What if no one likes my book? What if people judge me on my writing? What if I’m laughed at? What if no one buys anything I write ever again?

Know this - You are not alone. Ever since humans begun to create they have been plagued by thoughts of fear and inadequacy.