How To Write with Confidence

To write with confidence, well, does such a thing even exist? Most writers, even the super successful ones, aren’t completely confident in their work. But the thing is, the successful ones learn to work around their critical nature and write anyway. Unfortunately, some writers get so stuck in their lack of confidence that they let it prevent them from putting their work out into the world. They don’t think it’s worthy or they worry people won’t like it, so they keep it hidden away. And it’s quite the internal struggle: the desire to write and let your work mean something and the overwhelming fear that it’s not good enough, that others won’t like it, and that you aren’t deserving of success.

Luckily, we can change this mindset, learn to have some confidence in our writing, and publish our work for the world to enjoy. It takes time, though. And, it won’t be easy. But, once you learn to let go and let people explore your writing, it will be well worth the effort.

Some Backstory

I was unbelievably self-conscious of my writing for most of my life. I was afraid to even let people close to me see it, let alone complete strangers on the internet. But over the years, I’ve grown to be proud of my writing. And I think that’s a key part of it. Even if I’m not always confident in my work, I’m still proud of completing it and trying and being brave enough to put it out for others to critique.

So even if you don’t feel confident in everything you write, stand in the joy of creating something. But, ultimately, the goal is to find confidence in all of your work, so let’s look at some tips that can get you there.

Finding Confidence in Yourself

If you’re a self-conscious person in general, your writing will be no different. When you think of yourself as ‘less than’, your writing will always be ‘less than’ as well. Many people lack confidence in themselves (I’m still working on this, too). And, even though this can take some time to work through, it is possible to overcome. You can learn to love yourself and have confidence in yourself, and, in turn, have confidence in everything you do.

Now, I don’t think I’m qualified to teach you how to develop self-confidence, but here are some things that have worked for me:

• therapy
• positive affirmations
• journaling
• reading self-help books
• developing a more positive mindset

Being Okay with the Truth

What’s the truth? Well, not everyone will love your writing. We can’t please everyone in anything we do, and writing is no different. Some people like romance, some like fantasy, some hate horror, some hate action—and that’s okay. You could write the greatest love story ever told, but ask someone who hates romance to read it, and they probably won’t enjoy it.

We write for those who enjoy reading the stories we enjoy writing. So forget the notion that your work has to be perfect and everyone must love it. As long as you like what you’re writing—I promise you—it’s good enough.

I’m sure you objectively understand that not everyone will love your writing. But as you write and pour your all into the story, it can hurt to imagine people not liking it. Sometimes, we understand not everyone will enjoy it, but we still get stuck in trying to make the perfect story that will win everyone over.

Take Small Steps

The best way to learn how to write with confidence is to take small but steady steps. If you are at a point where you are afraid to show your writing to anyone, publishing a digital novel for everyone and anyone to read might not be the best idea. Especially because people are paying for it, they may be more critical and you may get discouraged.

That’s why I recommend taking smaller steps that can help you get to where you want to be. Everyone’s confidence level is different, so you might have to dig deep to find what can give you a little push. Here are some examples:

• give your story to a close friend/family member to read
• create a blog where you share your writing
• join writing communities
• enter writing contests

Find Your People

The great thing about the internet is that there are communities for everyone. Finding a community of like-minded writers can be a great way to boost your confidence. You can get feedback, ask for tips, and make new friends.

As you create relationships with other writers, you may find it easier to share your writing. There are plenty of places online to find writing communities such as Pinterest, FaceBook, and Reddit, but you may also want to look at what’s going on in your local community. Whether in person or online, having a place you can go as a writer to ask questions and feel heard is priceless and is sure to help you write with confidence.

Write with Confidence

So, if you want to become confident in your writing, try these tips:

• Find Confidence in Yourself
• Be Okay with the Truth
• Take Small Steps
• Find Your People

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