Things That Make Me Feel Like a Writer

The first time I heard the phrase “imposter syndrome” was when I first started writing, nearly ten years ago. What a light bulb moment! It was exactly how I was feeling, and if I’m honest, how I had felt in nearly every professional scenario of my life. Certainly not all of the time, but enough that I was grateful to give it a name. I have never felt like the authority or the “adultiest adult” in the room, even when I was a classroom teacher. But it was even more prevalent in my early writing days. (Ok, who I am kidding? It applies just as much to my current writing days.)

Being a pre-published writer is a weird thing. You are putting in so much effort and work and yet it doesn’t feel like a real job. Recently, I went to renew my passport and I had to put down my occupation. I looked at my husband. “Do I put writer?” He said yes. So according to the United States Government, I am a writer. But the truth is, I can say I am a writer, but I can also say I am magical woodland sprite. And without a paycheck, it feels like I have just about equal proof of both of these statements.

A paycheck doesn’t make you a writer. We know that. All it takes to be a writer is to write. (I want to quote Newsies here –“We’re a union just by saying so…”) But there are days I feel like I need a reminder that this thing I am doing is worthwhile and real. So, I started to think about the things that help me feel like a professional writer. Things I can fall back to on those Imposter Syndrome days.

Community

Tuning into the writing community on social media really helps me feel like I am building toward something. Finding those people who are on the same path and working on the same goals keeps me focused. I love cheering on their high word count days or commiserating over tough edits. Maybe it feels more like I have a real work place this way – like we are having these quick convos at the water cooler, or in my professional days, the teacher’s lounge. (I heard there was one of those. As a Special Education teacher, I’m not sure I ever saw it. IYKYK.) But building back up my network has really helped me feel more writerly.

Studying Craft Books

In my early writing days, if someone recommended a great book about writing, I bought it. But rarely did I spend much time in those texts. I think my time was much more scarce and though I would sit down with good intentions, I always opted to write instead. And that’s okay! I have a good stockpile of manuscripts from those days. But now that I have more time, I can go back and really study. To be fair, I’m a nerd who misses studying, so sitting down with The Magic Words by Cheryl B. Klein along with a notebook, a pencil, a highlighter, and post-it notes FEEDS my soul. The information is also more meaningful now that I can apply it to my drafts. I’m learning so much.

Writing, Every. Single. Day.

This can look very different from day to day. I am still a mom of four kids. My last bus pick-up is at 9:00 AM, and the first kids get off the bus at 2:15 PM. With errands and running a household, and cooking, and oh – maybe showering, those five-ish hours dwindle quickly. So some days, my blog is what I write. Other days, I actually get quality work in on my middle grade manuscript. Or I open old picture book manuscripts to play around. But whatever it looks like, I try to engage in the writing process with regularity, Monday through Friday. (Weekends are a whole other beast and we won’t go there.) Just like any other job, my productivity can vary wildly and I’m still learning what works best for me.

Reading

This might be another obvious writer activity, but even reading outside of my genre really helps me to feel more engaged with the market. There was a time when I would have struggled to name any of the top new release books of any given year. At that same time, I’m confident I knew every theme song you would hear throughout the day on Disney Jr. But I just wasn’t taking the time to pursue my own interests or maybe I didn’t really see the connection between my writing and reading, except comp titles. Between audio and physical books I am over 50 reads for the year and I really do feel like it makes me a better writer and helps me engage with the community.

Saying I’m a Writer

Ok, this might sound dumb. But I have to own it. I have to tell people I am a writer. (I’m probably aging myself but I can’t help but picture the SNL skit here – “I’m good enough. I’m smart enough…”) For the longest time, I kept everything pretty secret. Not that I hid it, but I did not share it. If I told people and then failed, that felt very public. But it also kept me from really pushing and putting all of my eggs in the proverbial basket. This year is the first time I have ever shared anything from my writer profiles onto my personal social media. It was terrifying. But also, friends have been incredibly supportive and I appreciate that so much. And it made it feel more real and maybe put a little extra pressure on me to try harder. Having people believe in you is an incredibly huge motivator.

On the days where I feel like an imposter, these are the things that really help me to feel like a writer. Because I am a writer. (See, I did it!) I would love to hear what drives you and what helps you to overcome Imposter Syndrome in any industry. Because the struggle is real.