Impostor Syndrome haunts writers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome
I was reminded of it by a brilliant cartoon in today’s newsletter from Hyperallergic.
I smiled at the punchline in the final box.
Once again, I’m feeling like an impostor, as I stumble around learning how to use Twitter and Instagram. I keep wondering: “What am I doing here? Will anything I post make a difference to anything?”
But, that’s part and parcel of being a writer. The world of writing and publishing thrives on creating doubt. Subscribe to one hundred newsletters from writing gurus and soon you’ll be inundated with advice on what you’re doing wrong…and, if you simply pay £450 for a weekend residential course, all of your errors will be chased away.
What a writer desires is some form of validation. Things get so uncertain, that we analyse the language used in rejection letters for solace!
I come alive when I write more of my WIP, which is how I know I’m real and not an impostor. Tweeting and posting on social media is restrictive and repetitive, as I tailor my words to have an effect—which makes me feel like a con man—get the punters’ confidence and maybe they’ll buy my books!
Impostor me…sort of.
How about you?
