Afraid to Write Because You Don’t Feel Good Enough
There is a story, growing inside you, begging to be heard, but you’re afraid to write it. Why, because that voice that lives inside of you keeps saying “You’re not good enough.” Let’s be real for a second: being afraid to write is one of 
the most common struggles writers face. I’ve been there — staring at the blank page, heart pounding, hearing that nagging voice whisper, “Who are you to write anything? You’re not good enough.” If that sounds familiar, take a deep breath. You are not alone, and this fear doesn’t mean you’re not a writer. It just means you’re human.
Why Writers Feel Afraid to Write
There are a lot of reasons we find ourselves afraid to write. Maybe it’s perfectionism, that itch that tells us every sentence has to be brilliant. Maybe it’s comparison, scrolling through social media and seeing polished books and wondering why we can’t measure up. Or maybe it’s imposter syndrome, the deep-down worry that if we write, someone will find out we’re a fraud. It’s scary! Who am I to think I could dare to compete with any of those 
published authors. After all, they’re PUBLISHED. People want to read their stuff. Nobody is going to want to read my stuff. At least that’s what goes through my head every single time I sit down to write. Whatever the reason, the fear is real, and it can stop us before we even begin. Writer’s Digest has a great article on Imposter Syndrome that is really useful.
What Happens When You Don’t Write
Here’s the hard truth: avoiding writing because we feel “not good enough” doesn’t protect us. It just makes the ache stronger. When we don’t write, the stories inside us don’t go away. They sit, they press, and they remind us that we’re not giving ourselves the chance to try. The truth is, writing badly feels better than not writing at all. At least when you put words down, you’ve created something you can shape later. You need to think about who you are writing for. The answer should always be that you’re writing for you first. And you don’t need to be afraid to write for you. When you write for yourself first, there isn’t anyone you have to impress. Get the story out of your head and down on paper for you. Then you can edit for somebody else….the public.
Small Steps to Push Through the Fear
If being afraid to write is keeping you frozen, try breaking the fear into smaller pieces. Here are a few gentle steps:
- Set a timer for 10 minutes. Promise yourself you’ll stop when the timer buzzes. Most of the time, you’ll want to keep going.
- Give yourself permission to write messy. Nobody has to see your first draft but you. The point is to get words on the page, not to make them perfect.
- Write just for you. Forget the audience for a moment. Pretend you’re writing a letter to yourself.
- Find community. Writing alongside others makes the fear smaller. (Check out my post on why writing groups matter.)
And if you want more strategies, The Write Practice has some great suggestions to Overcome Your Fear.
Reframing the “Not Good Enough” Voice
One of the best ways I’ve found to move past fear is to talk back to that voice in my head. When it says, “This isn’t good enough,” I remind myself: every single writer starts messy. Even the novels we love most were once ugly drafts. Another trick? Keep a “proof of progress” journal. Write down little wins — finishing a chapter, editing a page, even just sitting down to write when you didn’t want to. Over time, those reminders silence the fear a little more.
One Thing I Do
I am afraid to write. I struggle all the time thinking my writing isn’t good enough, or that nobody would ever want to read my stuff. I like to call myself out on what I like to call my internal bullshit. I look at myself in a mirror and tell 
myself to cut the crap. I would never talk to somebody else they way my inner voice talks to me, so why am I letting my inner voice talk to me like that. Trust me, my inner voice and I have gotten into some pretty intense arguments. Here’s the good news. You actually control your inner voice. So when it keeps dragging you down and making you afraid to write, just tell it to shut up and go to it’s room or something.
You’re Not Alone
If you’re afraid to write because you don’t feel good enough, know this: every writer has walked that road. What matters isn’t being fearless, it’s writing anyway. The world doesn’t get your story if you let fear win. So grab your notebook, open that doc, or scribble on a napkin — just start. Your words matter. You matter. And it’s time to write.
