7 Steps to Conquer Writer Doubt

I’ve talked recently to writers who were discouraged maybe on the brink of just giving up on their writing and authorship dreams. I did what I call a “talking them off the ledge” type of coaching. Nooo..Don’t Give Up! Do THIS instead….

So, I want you to do this…save this post. The next time you’re feeling discouraged about your writing dreams, pull it out and go through the steps I’ve outlined below.

Whether you’re a multi-passionate author, or you write strictly in one genre this exercise will work for you. It’s all about your focus….

Not all your good writing and author business ideas are good ideas for you


Point 1: All ideas may be good ideas, but they may not be a good idea for you – for now. Do you know when creativity hits? It’s when your brain cells are nourished, alive, and excited! You know what happens? You get lots of ideas! But, dear one, every good idea doesn’t mean it should be worked on or written now, or EVER. It just means that your creativity is alive, and you had an idea. Great. Write it down.

Stay Focused

Point 2. Keep the main thing the main thing. What’s your main creative focus right now? As I’m getting older <ahem, WISER> I am learning more and more that multi-tasking is a concept from the ENEMY. If you keep your main focus in front of you, you’ll make progress faster. Whether that’s writing your first draft (don’t edit as you go), to editing, to marketing, to coming up with a book launch plan, etc.  Work on THE task at hand that needs to be done next. Slow it down. Do the Do. Then do the next do. Slow and steady DOES get it done!

Know Your Main Thing

Point 3: What’s the “main thing” focus God put in your heart and that you’ve been building towards all this time? Is it sharing family stories, devotionals, writing a book series to entertain children, writing stories that make your readers heave a good belly-laugh, write Bible studies, etc… Pause and write it down. The MAIN THING. That’s your focus for Point 2.

Get Off the Procrastination Train

Point 4. Many times, we wreck our momentum and get off track with “procrastination”. Procrastination rears its head in many forms. Chasing shiny objects or ideas that seem good, and they are REALLY good, but they aren’t good for you NOW. Taming the twin dragons FOMO (fear of missing out) and BSO (bright shiny objects) will move you along in your writing world!

Keep Your Main Thing Your Main Thing

Point 5. Read your Main Focus many times. Don’t just write it for this exercise. Put it before you so you can read it often. It’s part of your overall Author mission statement for you, your
authorship with your books. (who you are, what you write, and the
results you want from your writing)

Know Your Author Mission Statement

Point 6. Take a pause and write your overall  Author mission statement for the work you do, and/or others (who you are, what you write, the skills you bring, and the  results you want for THEM with your writing) This statement should cover the 3 W’s — the Why, Who, and What you write.

Use Your Author Mission Statement as Your Guide

Point 7. Every action, decision, thing you buy and anything else if it relates to writing…make sure it measures up to your Author Mission Statement and then your FOCUS.

All that being said…You never know when God is going to redirect your path. I recently taught in Sunday School the chapter in Acts where Paul was on the missionary journey..they had the God-directed path all planned out…it was a good and honorable path. But, he had the vision of the people in Macedonia calling for help. God changed the path, and they redirected their journey. 

You know what? The same can happen in your writing journey. Some writers write one genre, then change to a new one. Other writers work on one book, finish it, and they aren’t ready to launch it to the world yet. That’s okay. If that’s your path and purpose, go with it. The point it work the path and plan that’s yours… However, you know what? Usually, when authors change genres, there’s a common tie to their overall Author Mission Statement!