Being a writer can be tough. This is because a myriad of new books come out every day. And as a writer, you are expected to stay competitive no matter what.
And it can be painful to see a newbie writer has come out of the blue, and gain more success than you. This is why a lot writers develop inferiority complexes. You work hard for a decade, trying to make a fan base for yourself.
Then all of a sudden this young and talented writer comes out of nowhere and gets an incredible publishing deal. Then he or she just sells a million books and you are left wondering. Is it all about talent? Have I dedicated my life to a pointless cause? Do I even want to continue writing?
But as painful as this feeling may be, you should never let it deter you from reaching your full potential as a writer. Remember that everyone has their own destiny. And if you want to truly succeed as a writer, you should really learn to get out of your own way.
You should learn how to get over your inferiority complex as a writer. Here are some great tips to get you started:
- Remember that everyone has talent
One of the reasons why some writers suffer from inferiority complex is the fact that they don’t believe that they have talent. They feel that other writers are more talented than they are. Which is a very bad mentality to have.
This is especially true if you are thinking of writing professionally. If you are going to write professionally, you should expect to be criticized and given bad reviews for your work. But getting bad reviews does not mean that you don’t have talent.
It just means that you have more room to grow. All in all, you should always remember that everyone has talent. That every writer has his or her own skills that make them truly unique. You just have to find yours.
- Don’t give yourself a deadline
One reason why some writers develop an inferiority complex is because they give themselves a deadline. They give themselves a timeline, wherein they want to achieve a certain level of success. Of course, there is nothing wrong with this.
It is always good to be ambitious. But, seeing as the writing profession can be very unpredictable, you should really make your goals more achievable and easier to manage. Don’t give yourself a time limit of 5 years to write a bestselling novel.
This is because there is really no guarantee that you can finish and sell the novel within those 5 years. There are so many factors that are way out of control. And if you don’t reach your goal within those 5 years, you would just end up feeling bad.
You would also end up developing writer’s jealousy because you see other writers achieving more than you, within that span of time. So when you do start your writing career, it is much better to just go with the flow, and not put too much pressure on yourself.
- Stop comparing yourself to other writers
Yet another reason why some writer’s develop inferiority complexes and writer’s jealousy is because they compare themselves to other writers. For example, you have been a writer for 3 years and you have gained a certain degree of success. You have made a small but loyal fan base and you are about to release a book.
You are feeling good, then out of nowhere this young literary phenom comes out of nowhere and releases a book that takes the literary world by storm. You would at first feel surprised and impressed with the writer. But then you look back on your own career and then you start comparing yourself with the author.
Then you would start feeling insecure and think that because he or she succeeded in such a short amount of time, you yourself are lacking as a writer. In many ways, this type of mindset is what cultivates an inferiority complex in authors. So if you want to reach your true potential as a writer and not have to deal with feelings of insecurity, it would be better if you just look to your own progress as a writer.
Look back on your achievements as a writer and be content with what you have achieved through the years. Remember that this not a race so you should just look to your own writing journey.
- Know your reasons for writing
As it was stated earlier, being a writer can be quite challenging. And there will be times that your conviction to write can be rocked. You can get a harsh review or you can feel discouraged due to a lack of recognition from readers.
And because of this, you develop an inferiority complex and feel jealous of other writer’s success. This is the time where you should take a step back from the writing process and reassess your ultimate goal as a writer. Ask yourself these questions.
What am I doing all this work for? Why am I writing? Who am I writing for? What do I hope to achieve as a writer? How long can I keep doing this? By knowing your ultimate goal as a writer, you will be able to have a clearer view of yourself as a writer and cultivate a stronger desire to write in the long run.
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