You're An Imposter!

You write for a living. You sit at your desk, surrounded by everything you need: a computer, loads of notes, coffee just the way you like it, a planner, and too many pens to count. There’s a deadline looming. Everything is ready.

But the words don’t come. At least not the way they should.

Sure, you write enough to get by, not lose your job, and pay the bills. But you—and you alone—know what you are capable of producing. And for whatever reason, you simply cannot do it.

Or maybe writing is your side gig. You have a full-time job or perhaps a full-time family. Writing always gets relegated to last because there are many other priorities in your life. But you think about writing all the time, planning and plotting and imagining and hearing words in your head all day long. If only you could get those words down on paper. Then you’d be a real writer. 

But that’s it, isn’t it? You’re not a real writer. You’re an imposter. And you’ve known it all along—or, at the least, that's what you think.

In reality, what you’re experiencing is called imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome consists of feelings of self-doubt about one’s abilities and successes, especially when compared to high-achieving individuals.

If you are grappling with imposter syndrome, you might be afraid that if others look too closely, they will see that you don’t know what you are doing and expose you as a fraud. What's more, if you're neurodivergent (ND) like me, imposter syndrome might affect you even more.

Neurodivergence Makes Imposter Syndrome Worse

Perhaps you have ADHD or OCD. Or you’re on the autism spectrum. Maybe you’re dyslexic or have a sensory processing disorder. It’s even possible you have several of these conditions that can intensify your feelings of imposter syndrome.

The challenges of being an ND writer are real. Executive dysfunction often looks like laziness or lack of motivation. The ADHD mind swings like a pendulum, proclaiming “This is genius!” and then “This is garbage” in a matter of minutes. The perfectionism of OCD has you caught in an endless editing loop. Perhaps the sensory issues that accompany your autistic brain prevent you from being able to work.

All of these struggles feed the perception of being a fraud, and the self-doubt that accompanies that is crippling. It’s an endless, evil cycle. 

There are times you just feel sorry for yourself because you want to write, but your neurodivergence makes it difficult. Are you using it as an excuse? Or do you want to overcome the adversities and put pen to paper in a meaningful way? 

The “Real Writer” Myth

You’re not an idiot. You’ve read the articles. You know the expectations of what real writers do. You’ve tried all the tricks of the trade: making the lists, using the timers, creating the outlines, researching until your eyeballs bleed.

Yet, here you are with your deadline behind you and a blank page staring you in the face. You are certain that no other writer has these problems. After all, you’ve read plenty of novels and newspaper articles and short stories and blog posts and business journals to know that good writers are out there. You are just not one of them. 

But the truth is that you are only seeing the end result of someone else’s painstaking efforts. 

Nobody sits down and writes the perfect piece in one fell swoop. As a writer, you know the behind-the-scenes chaos that accompanies crafting words for publication (or even an email, if you’re being honest). Every writer goes through it. Even the ones who appear to have all their ducks in a row.

Give yourself enough grace to realize that. Most of all… don’t compare your chaos to someone else’s finished product. 

Reframe Your Thinking

Neurodivergence isn’t a liability with the right attitude.

So it takes you a long time to finish a project? That’s called being persistent.

Do you need lots of breaks and resets to keep making progress? That’s called being resilient.

Are you spending more time managing your stress than writing? That’s called being self-aware.

There is an old Cherokee parable about two wolves. You may have read it before, but here it is:

Don’t feed that negative monster that lives inside your brain. Every writer struggles. Your struggles just might look a little different. Take the time to notice what you do well. Here's how you can:

Look at earlier work: Go back to a first draft or that cringy poetry you wrote when you were a teenager. Compare that to what you are writing now and recognize how far you’ve come. Growth proves you are not a fraud.

Read those positive comments/reviews: Someone loved your short story? A reader connected with your blog post? Five-star reviews on your novel? Re-read the compliments and constructive praise you've received. They are powerful reminders of your strengths as a writer.

Celebrate small victories: Did you get a full request from an agent? Maybe you were a finalist for a writing contest. Even if these exciting milestones didn’t end the way you had hoped, they are still victories and should remind you that your work has great potential! 

---

Imposter syndrome is real—and cruel. It can derail many a writer’s motivation and self-worth. It can mess with your writing process. It can make you feel less.

But that voice of doubt only has power if you let it.

So don’t stop writing. At the very least, don’t stop thinking of yourself as a writer. Find your voice. Find the time. Find other writers to support you. Find whatever works to move you forward. 

Just keep writing.

You are not an imposter. You are just you.

---

About the Author:

Karen is a writer, teacher, audiobook lover, and Wordle enthusiast from New Jersey. She has ADHD and OCD and suffers from imposter syndrome on the regular. But that will never stop her from doing what she loves. Visit her online at www.karenkinley.com.