Do you have an unrealistic view of your writing ability? It’s completely normal for writers, but it’s important to be aware of because it can cause a lot of pain and blockage along your writing journey. Nurturing a healthy mindset is crucial for a successful writing life. Our beliefs dictate what we do and how we act, so we need to get them aligned with reality.

Tying your sense of self to your productivity may be affecting your mindset and holding you back from a happy and thriving writing life. Many writers have learned that the more they do or accomplish, the more valuable they are. It could even be what drew them to writing a book in the first place. Writing a novel, after all, is a huge accomplishment.

The other day I cringed when I saw a writer post something on IG about how publishing their book would be a great way to get back at all the people who had ever doubted them. I admit, I’ve felt like this in the past. There were times in my early writing life when I thought about the people who doubted me and imagined how they might react when they found out I was a published author! Now though, I find these types of sentiments (and posts) cringy. It’s like seeing someone shout their insecurities from the rooftop.

It’s embarrassing to admit this, but there have been times along my writing journey when I’ve spent more time thinking about how my writing can serve me than how it can serve readers. I became a much better writer when I realized the purpose of my writing is to entertain and inspire others. When I shifted my focus outward, I could better see what I needed to work on to improve my reader’s experience and ultimately my own writing.

Rejection is part of the writing process. Rejection is normal. All writers face rejection. A famous author we all know was rejected multiple times!

These things are all true. And I have deep respect for the writers who went before me. I am glad they share their stories of rejection and make us all feel more positive about the whole submission process. But after a recent string of rejections, these commonly recited facts weren’t making me feel any better.

“When you finally find yourself ready to sit down at your desk to write, or in that studio to paint, or in that sanctuary to speak, or at that sunrise wedding to photograph … or wherever it is that you stand or kneel or walk or sit to create and cause beauty to be and beam from the hollow of your hands - you will find that everything, and I mean everything, will rise up against you.” — Rachel Marie Kang

This quote from the book Let There Be Art brought tears to my eyes. In the ten years I’ve been trying to successfully write and publish a book, it feels like there has been so much to fend off, just to make a little space for my creativity.

We so often look ahead, waiting for our happiness to begin. If I just had …. fill in the blank …. then I could be happy. These are some of the things I’ve thought along my writing journey: “If I just had a literary agent, I’d be happy.” “If I had a publisher, I’d be happy.” “If I had a book on the shelf in a bookstore …” Well, you get it. Maybe for you it’s things like more book sales, a bigger following or better reviews. We have big dreams and big goals, that’s what keeps us going, but when we pin our happiness on future outcomes we have little control over, it can leave us feeling crushed when things don’t happen the way we expected.

From imposter syndrome to negagive thoughts about ourselves, we all live with lies in our heads. Writers have some common lies that affect us and if we put up with a lie for too long, it can influence our choices and behaviour. At the very worst, a lie left too long unchallenged can stop us from writing. With that in mind, let me share four common lies writers believe and the truth that will set you free.