Wednesday, July 3, 2013

IWSG: Why Are Writers Insecure?

Today is the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's time for:

For more information about this group visit: the-insecure-writers-support-group

Why are writers insecure, anyhow?

1. We expose our souls to the world.
2. And then we wait for feedback.

I think it's the waiting that make's us crazy insecure. Or maybe it's the rejection constructive criticism. Or maybe we've invested so much in the manuscript that we've gone nutso bankrupt emotionally.

What do you think? Why are writers insecure?


  1. I think you hit the nail on the head. How can a writer not be insecure when putting a book out that so much time has been spent on?

  2. We're insecure because we are essentially exposing the inner workings of our minds. How we think and how we process information is a telling thing to a reader.

    That can be scary for people who are self-conscious about their thoughts. I've learned to overcome that fear and it's a liberating feeling but it never goes away. It's like having a fear of heights and jumping off a bridge with a bungee cord.

    The next time you make that jump, you still feel the heightened fear just before you jump, but you know it will be fun, you just have to bring yourself to do it and not care what the end result will be.

  3. Great post! We lay ourselves so bare, don't we? We know that what we submit is something we think is good enough - and it hurts when someone else thinks it isn't. With our writers' imaginations we see them screwing up their nose and tutting at our efforts. But then there are other times when they smile - but we don't put as much effort into imagining those times!

  4. #1! Definitely LOL. I saw a tweet last week from a bestselling author who said she is still insecure. She never thinks she will finish a new book. It's a never ending cycle I guess :)

    Meredith’s Musings

  5. I'm not too certain. I'd love to know. But it's scary to think about it too much. Just accept it for what it is. Safer that way.
    Writer In Transit

  6. We're insecure because our world is so subjective and what's good or popular or even successful keeps changing.

  7. That about sums it up. lol Most of us are introverts to begin with, so to share so much of ourselves on paper and then wait for how people feel about it sucks.