Hi fellow readers, writers, and friends!
I've never experienced such a range of emotions doing anything before until I started writing this novel. The ups and downs are insane (I feel insane). In a given week, I can go from feeling unstoppable to climbing into my covers and crying.
You're probably thinking, "Morgan, this is unstable." And you're not wrong. I feel unstable being a newbie to the writing world. I make excuses all the time, discrediting my work:
"I'm not a trained writer."
"I don't have an MFA."
Does my MBA count for anything?
"I've never written a book before."
Blah, blah, blah.
This thinking gets writers into trouble. It blocks creativity, undermines our work, and gives major impostor syndrome vibes, which I feel all the time. But then I tell myself, "Morgan, there have been plenty of writers who started exactly where I am."
Some notable authors who started with no formal writing background:
Started traditionally:
- J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter)
- Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird)
- John Grisham (A Time to Kill)
Started with self-publishing:
- Andy Weir (The Martian)
- Amanda Hocking (Trylle Trilogy)
- E.L. James (Fifty Shades of Grey)
And guess what: J.K. Rowling and John Grisham had to endure numerous rejections before being picked up by a publisher. Grisham even had to sell his books out of his car to make ends meet after publishing his first book with a small publisher.
Harper Lee never wrote another novel after To Kill a Mockingbird became a bestseller. Amanda Hocking sold millions of copies before landing a traditional publishing deal. Andy Weir self-published The Martian online chapter by chapter before it became a bestselling book and blockbuster movie.
These authors didn't start with MFAs or literary credentials. They started with stories they believed in and the stubborn determination to share them with the world.
So why do I still feel like an impostor?
Because writing is vulnerable. Every time I sit down to write, I'm putting a piece of myself on the page. Every time someone reads my work, I'm inviting judgment. And every time I hit a rough patch in the story, that voice creeps in: "Who are you to think you can do this?"
But here's what I've learned:
Everyone feels this way. Even the authors I admire. Even the ones with multiple bestsellers under their belts. Impostor syndrome doesn't discriminate—it shows up whether you're writing your first chapter or your fifteenth novel.
The difference? The writers who succeed are the ones who keep going anyway.
The Emotional Rollercoaster
Some days, I'm flying. The words pour out effortlessly, the scenes come together perfectly, and I think, "Holy crap, I'm actually doing this. This is GOOD."
Other days? I reread what I wrote and want to delete the entire manuscript. I convince myself it's garbage, that no one will ever want to read it, that I'm wasting my time.
And then there are the in-between days—the ones where I'm just grinding through, word by word, trusting the process.
What helps me push through:
1. Remember why I started. I started because I had a story clawing its way out of my brain, and I couldn't ignore it anymore.
2. Celebrate small wins. Finished a chapter? Celebrate. Fixed a plot hole? Celebrate. Wrote even when I didn't feel like it? Celebrate. Progress is progress, no matter how small.
3. Give myself permission to suck. Not every sentence has to be perfect. Not every draft has to be brilliant. The goal is to finish, not to be flawless.
4. Trust the process. Writing is messy. Revisions are brutal. Self-doubt is inevitable. But every step forward—no matter how shaky—is still one step towards publication.
So if you're feeling like an impostor, if you're questioning whether you have what it takes, if you're riding the emotional rollercoaster of writing, you're not alone. And you're exactly where you're supposed to be.
Stay creative, stay hyped, and ride the emotional waves.
Morgan
