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Like many (most?) writers, I periodically feel the mix of self-consciousness, embarrassment, anxiety, and pessimism that people call imposter syndrome.
The pattern is this:
-People praise your work. It moved or enriched them in some way.
-You now feel on the hook to meet those expectations.
-You are not sure you really did in the first place and quite sure you're not going to.
-People praise your work. It moved or enriched them in some way.
-You now feel on the hook to meet those expectations.
-You are not sure you really did in the first place and quite sure you're not going to.
So, I feel a little nervous about having ever published anything, pretty sure there's some major flaw hidden in the next thing, and not exactly eager to do the writing I should be working on right now.
Luckily, there is very little correlation between how I feel about my work right now and how effective it will actually be in fulfilling the measure of its creation.
So I will let those feelings wash over me like a wave, acknowledge that people are kinda scary and writing for them is scary, too. And then I will get back to work and focus on getting stuff down even if it feels like what I'm writing is awful.
Often, the feeling will pass as the rhythms of craft kick in.
If not, that's OK. It's OK to let feelings just be feelings. You don't have to do anything about them.
If not, that's OK. It's OK to let feelings just be feelings. You don't have to do anything about them.
Anyway, back to work. Thanks for joining me in this session of Twitter writing therapy. 
