What Writing Confidence REALLY Looks Like

Have you ever felt unsure of your writing?

Maybe your uncertainty has stopped you from completing writing projects — or prevented you from even trying in the first place.

Why does writing seem so easy for some people, when for you it feels like a total slog?

Here’s the secret: even confident writers have an inner critic.

I love writing, and I’m a confident writer. But even as I write — especially if it’s a big, challenging project, or something especially close to the heart — I can hear my inner critic yammering away.

My inner critic probably tells me a lot of the same things that yours tells you.

But here’s the difference between a “confident” writer and an “unconfident writer”: the confident writer just keeps on writing.

I have enough experience with this writing stuff to know that it all comes together in the end. That inner critic noise doesn’t bother me much, because I just consider it part of the process.

I’ve learned to let the inner criticism — and praise, for that matter — soften into the background as I work. I hear it, but I don’t let it stop me, or stick me in place, or take me off course.

I just keep on writing.

Now, what does this actually look like in practice? I told my friend (and fellow writer) Alex Picot-Annand about the ups and downs of the process, and she turned my words into this fun comic:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2500"] Click the image to access a downloadable version of the comic! [/caption]

I love this, because it’s a reminder that no, it’s not just you. If you’re hearing your inner critic, it does not mean you suck or that you won’t succeed. It means you’re a writer.

And finally, if you find yourself on the inner critic rollercoaster, the main thing is to just keep writing.