You’ve probably heard of Imposter Syndrome. It’s that nagging, insidious little voice in your head that whispers, “You have no idea what you’re doing. Who are you to call yourself a writer? Any moment now, everyone is going to figure out you’re a fraud.”

If you’ve ever felt like a complete fraud while trying to pursue something creative—writing, painting, interpretive dance (hey, no judgment)—then congratulations! You’re probably suffering from Imposter Syndrome. And as someone who spends a decent amount of time questioning whether I should even call myself a writer, I am here to say: welcome to the club.

Here’s a handy, unofficial guide to battling (or at least surviving) Imposter Syndrome, written by someone who is currently doubting whether they’re qualified to give advice on this topic at all.

Stage 1: The Overwhelming Certainty That You’re Not a “Real” Writer

Imposter Syndrome hits hard, especially when you first start calling yourself a writer. You sit down to write and immediately start wondering, Am I actually any good at this? Does writing Instagram captions count as “creative writing?” Am I allowed to call myself a writer if I haven’t published a bestseller yet? What if that one person who left a five-star review was just being nice?

For me, this stage usually involves a lot of staring blankly at the screen, thinking about how all the other real writers are out there creating literary masterpieces while I’m over here Googling whether I’m using semicolons correctly. (Spoiler: I’m not.)

Imposter Syndrome loves to convince you that you’re not a “real” writer. But guess what? If you’re writing anything, even if it’s just notes to remind yourself to buy more tea bags, you’re a writer. You’re creating. And that’s what counts.

Stage 2: The Paralysing Fear of Being “Found Out”

Have you ever had a moment where you genuinely expect someone to burst through the door, point at you, and shout, “Aha! We’ve found the fraud!”? You’re sitting there typing away, and suddenly it hits you: someone’s going to realize that you have no idea what you’re doing.

For me, this stage usually strikes when I’m talking about my writing. Maybe I’ve just mentioned to someone that I’ve written a book, or I’ve shared a snippet of my latest project. I see their face light up with interest, and instead of being proud, I panic. Oh no. They actually think I know what I’m doing. They have no idea I spent the entire morning arguing with myself about a single comma.

What Imposter Syndrome doesn’t tell you is that everyone feels like this sometimes. Even the most successful authors have admitted to feeling like frauds. If Stephen King can write Carrie and still have moments of self-doubt, then the rest of us are in pretty good company.

Stage 3: Comparing Yourself to Other Writers (And Feeling Totally Inadequate)

Ah, comparison. The kryptonite of every writer’s confidence. It’s far too easy to fall into the trap of looking at other writers and wondering why you’re not achieving the same level of success, fame, or literary genius. Social media makes this worse, of course, because every time you open Instagram, it’s like, Look! Here’s another author who just wrote 5,000 words before breakfast, landed a book deal, and is currently on a nationwide book tour, all while maintaining perfect hair!

Meanwhile, you’re sitting there in your pyjamas, staring at the same paragraph you’ve rewritten 17 times, wondering how on earth other people make it look so easy.

Here’s the thing: no one posts about their bad days. No one shares that time they spent three hours rearranging their pens to avoid writing Chapter 5. The writers you’re comparing yourself to probably feel just as inadequate as you do. They’ve just learned how to hide it better.

So the next time you find yourself spiralling into a comparison-fuelled pity party, remember this: you’re not seeing the whole picture. Behind every glamorous Instagram post is someone who’s struggled with their writing at some point (and probably ate an entire packet of biscuits while doing it).

Stage 4: Writing Something, Hating It, and Assuming Everyone Else Will Too

If Imposter Syndrome had a favourite hobby, it would be sitting on your shoulder and whispering, “This is terrible. No one’s going to want to read this. Are you really going to share this with the world?”

Writing is a vulnerable act. You’re putting a piece of yourself out there, and naturally, that can feel terrifying. But Imposter Syndrome has a knack for turning self-criticism up to eleven, making you second-guess every word you write.

Whenever I’m in the middle of writing a draft, I have a mini-internal meltdown. This doesn’t sound as good as I thought it would, I’ll think, halfway through a scene. My characters are boring. The plot makes no sense. Why do I keep using the word “just” every other sentence?

It’s enough to make you want to hit delete on the entire document.

But here’s the thing: first drafts are supposed to be bad. Writing isn’t about perfection; it’s about getting words down on the page. You can edit, revise, and polish later. The important part is to keep writing, even when that voice in your head is telling you it’s all rubbish.

Stage 5: Accepting (Sort Of) That You’re Not Actually Faking It

Here’s the good news: after going through the previous stages of Imposter Syndrome, you might just start to realize something important. You’re not faking it. You’re actually doing it. You’re writing. Sure, some days it might feel like a complete disaster, but you’re showing up and creating something that didn’t exist before.

Imposter Syndrome doesn’t go away overnight. It’s more of a long-term battle. But the more you acknowledge its presence, the less power it has over you. Start by celebrating the small victories: finishing a chapter, sharing a piece of your work with a friend, or even just getting through a tricky writing session without breaking down.

And remember, every writer feels like an imposter at some point. That doesn’t make you less of a writer. In fact, it probably means you’re taking this whole “writing” thing seriously enough to care. And that’s a pretty good sign that you’re on the right path.

My Personal Approach to Imposter Syndrome

Now, I won’t pretend I’ve got Imposter Syndrome completely figured out. In fact, I’m probably going to re-read this blog post later and wonder if I should delete it because I’m “not qualified” to write about Imposter Syndrome (cue the irony). But over time, I’ve learned a few tricks to keep it at bay:

Celebrate small wins. Even if it’s just writing 100 words, give yourself credit.

Remind yourself that everyone feels like a fraud sometimes. You’re not alone in this.

Talk to other writers. You’ll be surprised how many of them are feeling the same way.

Don’t be afraid to write badly. The more you write, the better you’ll get.

Take breaks from comparison. Stay in your lane. Your writing journey is uniquely yours.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to rewrite the last sentence of this post for the hundredth time, because apparently, Imposter Syndrome doesn’t take holidays.