Let’s start with how awesome it is that we have a term to name the feeling and/or belief that we are not good enough. That term: Imposter Syndrome.
Here, we’re gonna get into what it is and explore some ideas on how to address it.
Definition
Imposter Syndrome is a pattern where folks doubt their accomplishments and have a tenacious fear of being exposed as a fraud, despite evidence of their competence. Those who experience it often attribute their success to luck, timing, or tricking others into believing they’re somehow qualified rather than attributing their awesomeness to their own skills and abilities.
In the resources below, there is a video that jumps off with Maya Angelou experiencing Imposter Syndrome (IS). So, if you experience IS as I do, you’re in good company. But let’s not stop there. Let’s get out of the loop de loop.
Some Ideas on How to Address Imposter Syndrome
Embrace a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset.
Back in the day, they did a study with middle school students. They split the room in half and plopped one group into one room and the other in a second room. They walked into room #1 and said, “You all are really smart. Here take this test.”
They went over to room #2 and said, “You all are really hard workers, here take this test.”
(The test was impossibly hard, by the way.)
The response from the student who were told they were “smart” said, “Ugh! This test is way too hard. No one could ever pass it.”
The response from the students who were told they were “hard workers” said, “Wow. This is a really hard test. Can’t wait to figure it out.”
Those are expressions of the Growth Mindset (hard workers group) and Fixed Mindset (smart group). Here’s what those mean (gratitude: Malcolm Gladwell):
| Fixed Mindset | Growth Mindset |
|---|---|
| I’m either good at it, or I’m not. When I’m frustrated, I give up. I don’t like to be challenged. When I fail, I’m no good. Tell me I’m smart. If you succeed, I feel threatened. My (current) abilities determine everything. | I can learn anything I want to. When I’m frustrated, I persevere. I want to challenge myself. When I fail, I learn. Tell me I try hard. If you succeed, I’m inspired. My effort and attitude determine everything. |
Now, let’s take a moment to get specific on how to embrace a Growth Mindset.
| Growth Mindset Element | Sit with and/or Journal and/or Discuss |
|---|---|
| I can learn anything I want to. | What is a writing craft element you’ve improved? |
| When I’m frustrated, I persevere? | Recall a time when you were stuck on a line, a paragraph, a story (of any length) and you found your way through. |
| I want to challenge myself. | Why do you write? Finding and connecting with our “why” can be helpful in a number of writer life areas. Check the viddy in the resources to tune into why finding your “why” is helpful. |
| When I fail, I learn. | You got some feedback on a piece of your writing that was at first, challenging, disheartening, similar but then you learned something. What was it? |
| Tell me I try hard. | What is something you’ve done that demonstrates you are trying hard? |
| If you succeed, I’m inspired. | What’s something you’ve learned from a critique group partner? Or an author who is not massively well known? |
| My effort and attitude determine everything. | You’ve had to pick yourself up. Ready, set, riff on that. |
A Final Thought
I’ve done a little self-study and have determined conclusively that there are about 1.1 billion different craft elements to attend to when writing––arcs, themes, POV, action, flow, commas, (insert remainder of the billion things here).
My take: we are socialized to focus on what’s wrong, so we can fix it.
Versus: focusing on what can be improved in balance with what’s working. It’s important we own our awesomeness and focus on that next one thing to improve. In time, all our plates will be spinning.
Now, please go write!
Resources + References
- What is Imposter Syndrome and How to Combat It (YouTube)
- How to Turn Imposter Syndrome into Your Superpower (Ted Talk)
- Know Your Why (Michael Jr. Breaktime / YouTube
Jasper Woods writes genre bending speculative fiction with a surreal tilt and a Midwestern spine. Born in western Kansas, he now haunts the Wisconsin woods. He incorporates his 30+ years working in human services into his stories, exploring the dark corners of our present from our future. Join his Substack for free and receive monthly short stories, leaning surreal and always falling under the speculative umbrella. He’s a big fan of LeGuinn, Link, Vonnegut, Butler, Atwood, Jemisin, Baldwin, Serling, Lynch, more. Married since a comet collided with Jupiter, Jasper is the proud parent of a noise maker and baker of deliciousness.
Thanks for this post! I feel like every day as a writer, I struggle with self doubt. So this is a helpful distinction to keep in mind.
Glad it was helpful, Spencer. Also, your book looks awesome!
What a great blog post! Thank you!
Thanks, Dana:)