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First, I want to point out how meta this post is. My first post on this blog is a post about starting a blog.
I’ve been a professional writer for five years, but I’m only now starting a blog like this. (The Disabled Witch is much more creative venture than blog.) Why is that?
Well, like many writers, I struggle with imposter syndrome. The fear of getting things wrong, or of not really having the expertise I think I do, has stopped me time and time again. I finally decided it’s time to confront that fear and do the thing that scares me.
Will it work? Who knows. But that’s not what’s important. So if you want to know how to face that same fear and put your writing out there, keep reading. This is not a walkthrough of how to start a blog— there are plenty of those already. Instead, it’s focused specifically on dealing with that fear.
Shall we?
The most common fears that hold writers back:
There are a lot of fears that might stop talented writers like you and I from putting our work out there. In the next section, we’ll talk about some ways to address those fears.
- Imposter syndrome: believing that you aren’t really a writer, or you don’t deserve praise for your writing, or that you aren’t good enough to share your work.
- Not knowing where to start. Blogs are more than writing; there’s websites and headers and SEO and social media. It can all feel overwhelming.
- Worrying no one will read it. After all, isn’t the point of sharing writing to engage others?
- The market’s too saturated, and you feel like you don’t have anything new to say.
- Not knowing if you have enough time to devote to a blog. Don’t you need constant content?
How do I counter my fears of starting a blog?
I could make an endless list of tips and tricks to get yourself writing, but the best way to counter a fear of creating a blog is to start doing it. Until you do, that imposter syndrome isn’t going to go away.
Still, it can be helpful to sit with whatever fear you’re feeling, figure out what it’s saying, and decide how to respond. Here are some suggestions for responding to those pesky little fears.
Imposter syndrome: seal those doubts away.
The counterintuitive truth is that if you’re worrying that you can’t write because you aren’t a real writer, then chances are, you are a writer. You probably wouldn’t have read this far if you don’t want to write.
There is no award or income amount that suddenly makes you a writer. Do you have a passion for words, stories, and putting your thoughts down with pen (or keyboard)? Congrats, you’re a writer!
When I’m stuck in moments of doubt like this, I like to consider Anne Lamott’s advice from her book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. To summarize her point: imagine all those annoying voices as little mice. Then, one by one, pick them up and drop them in a jar.
Turn the volume all the way up, and let the voices scream all they want. Then, mute them, put a lid on the jar, and get on with your work. They’ll still be there when you’re done.
But where do I even start?
With an idea! There are countless guides out there about the process of launching a blog. Just Google “how to start a blog” and you’ll see hundreds of posts.
To take another piece of advice from Lamott, take it bird by bird, or step by step. Sure, you can’t come up with 20 post ideas, build an awesome looking site, and write your first stunning post in one day. But if you start with one piece and go from there, eventually you’ll end up where you want to be.
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Will anyone even read it?
Truthfully, who can say? There is a chance that you put up your first few posts and only your mom and best friend read them.
If you stick with it, though, you’re likely to gain more readers. Gaining organic readership takes time. Don’t jump into it expecting to go viral on day one, or you’ll only be disappointed.
Instead, ask yourself: why am I doing this? What do I want out of my blog? Let the answers to those questions guide you as you move forward.
But I don’t have anything new to say!
This is another facet of imposter syndrome. You feel like there’s so many blogs already (and, let’s be real, there are a lot of them), so you won’t be contributing anything new.
When you first start out, you might be mostly sharing other people’s content or building off what they say. But as you keep writing, you’ll find that you have more and more ideas of your own to share.
Even if you’re saying something that’s been said before, you’re probably putting your own twist on it. Sure, there are a dozen blog posts about how to grow tomatoes. But how do you grow tomatoes? Don’t be afraid to lean on your own experience and perspective. After all, that’s what makes you unique.
I don’t think I have enough time to write a blog.
The common conception in the blogging world is that if you want to be successful, you need constant content. They tell you that if you start pumping out words like there’s no tomorrow, you’ll have a happy platform in no time.
If all you want to do is have your site reach as many people as possible, then sure, that might work. But the truth is that writing a blog is something you should be doing because you want to do it.
So how often do you post? As much as you want to.
Staying consistent definitely helps, but you don’t have to commit to a blog post every week. You can start with bi-weekly posts, or even one a month.
What will really help you is focusing on providing high-quality, engaging content. Follow a pace that allows you to do that.
Writing for yourself first.
Writing is an art, and a challenging one at that. It requires passion and creativity to put out engaging work.
So if you only want to start a blog as a marketing tool, and you don’t care much for writing, you’re better off hiring someone who provides blog writing services (like me).
If you really feel like starting a blog is something you want for yourself, then you are your first reader. Yes, you want your words to reach more people. But first and foremost, you are writing for yourself.
By keeping your motivation at the center of your work, you’re less likely to give up, and more likely to have fun doing it.
It might be just you, your mom, and your cat at first. Stick with your passion and let it guide you, and one way or another, you’ll find a way to reach more people and feel happy with the writing you produce.
Do you have other strategies you’ve used to confront your fears? What about an idea for a blog you want feedback on? I’d love to hear it! You can leave a comment down below or on my Instagram (@ashtonrosewrites) or Facebook (@ashtonrosewritesfb). And if you liked this post, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next one.
Ashton Rose 