Imposter Syndrome: Why is it so prevalent in writers?

Hello, my lovely readers.

The year 2024 now arrived to our doorsteps and I am astonished how fast 2023 has flown by. With the festivities behind us, one person does not have much to look forward to apart from the blossom of spring to bring some warmth. Please don't mistake me for a pessimist, but I must admit that this weather is freezing me to my bones.

Anyhow, weather comes and goes, there are more important topics I wanted to discuss in this blog.

Let's talk about Imposter Syndrome; the dark, bad secret of society. it's everywhere and it's believed that 70% of the population will suffer from this phenomenon one way or another. Although you can apply it to all industries and areas, this syndrome seems to be very prevalent in the writing community.

Why, you ask?

Well, most writers tend to work alone and some may feel it is exactly for that reason that they don't feel good enough or that they are 'frauds' in this industry.

So, what exactly is Imposter Syndrome?

An imposter syndrome (also called imposterism) is a psychological internal phenomenon of feeling like a fraud in some areas of your life, even if you typically excel in these areas.

This syndrome is not a mental illness as such, although anxiety and depression may accompany the feelings of restlessness and nervousness, due to the negative self-talk the sufferer constantly gives oneself. On one hand, this syndrome can motivate an individual to achieve, but on the other hand, the individual with this syndrome constantly over-prepares to make sure "no one finds out I am not good enough and should not be a writer."

This in turn creates a vicious cycle, which can lead to many issues such as anxiety, depression and even social anxiety. One can be a natural at something and achieve great things but still, at the back of the head, a nagging feeling of "what gives me the right to be a writer?' prevails.

The 5 Types of Imposter Syndrome

According to Dr Valerie Young (see her views on the topic here), this syndrome can be divided into 5 subcategories. Now imagine you are a writer and follow these 5 categories:

1. The perfectionist writer

As a perfectionist writer, you set extremely high standards for yourself.

When someone is a perfectionist, they don't just get things done. They believe that at all times, they need to deliver a perfect performance 100% of the time. When you, the perfectionist writer, fail to measure to these impossible standards, you hate yourself for it. This fear of "failure", in turn, creates procrastination or overworking.

2. The superbeing writer

As a superbeing writer, you feel you should excel at every role you take on in your life.

When someone is a superbeing, their competence rests on the ability to juggle multiple roles; from writing, full-time job, and extracurricular activities, to hobbies, housework and night outs. You, the superbeing writer, is unable to say no, even when you are struggling to keep up with everything. You tell yourself 'If I was really competent, I would be able to do it all.'

3. The expert writer

As an expert writer, you expect to know everything and feel ashamed when you don't.

When someone is an expert writer, their main concern is how much knowledge and skills they possess - as far as an expert writer is concerned, they can never have enough. You, the expert writer, must be at at a certain threshold of experience, rather than learn as you go. You constantly tell yourself that you are not really smart unless you understand everything you read. You refuse to put yourself out there unless you have in-depth education, training and experience.

4. The soloist writer

As a soloist writer, you believe work must be accomplished alone

When someone is a soloist writer, they care most about who completes the task and never, under any circumstances accept the help of someone else. You, the soloist writer only count the achievements that were accomplished all on your own. You refuse to take any credits if you have even the smallest of assistance.

5. The natural genius writer

As a natural genius writer, you tell yourself that everything must be handled with ease.

When someone is a natural genius writer, true competence means having inherent intelligence and ability. They refuse to call themselves competent unless they are gifted at what they do. You, the natural genius writer, think that if you have to work hard at writing, you are not a real writer at all.

Coping with Imposter syndrome: Get help now.

To move past these feelings, you first have to admit to yourself that you have an imposter syndrome. Let's be honest. If you found yourself in this article, you probably have. You need to learn to be comfortable confronting some of the deeply ingrained beliefs you hold about yourself. The following techniques may help you get past your deepest worries:

• Share your feelings with others

• Counteractively, help others in the same situation as yours.

• Assess your abilities. Write down your accomplishments and what you are good at, then compare these with your self-assessment.

• Take baby steps. Don't focus on doing things perfectly, but rather, do things reasonably well.

• Question your thoughts.

• Stop comparing yourself to others.

• Use social media moderately.

• Stop fighting your feelings.

• Refuse to let it hold you back.

---

Farewell, my lovely readers, until next time. I have many many surprises prepared for this year and hopefully, I can also bring laughter, smile and knowledge to your doorsteps.