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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45205
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45205
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I'll give my two cents, as someone who feels the same struggles.

You'll never get **completely** over the fear of rejection, or of not being good enough. I say this because even accomplished authors reported the same fear. Brandon Sanderson said, in an episode of the podcast Writing Excuses, something along the likes of "_Yes, the last book was a success, but will they like the next one?_".

> But how would I really know if I am any good?

I'm used - as you are - to get very positive feedbacks about my writing skills. And I asked a lot of people, in a lot of different times of my life, for different pieces. People usually say I'm good. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if I don't believe it myself.

The point is that **you cannot trust completely external validation**. It's nice and gratifying, but it can make you fall into a strange feedback loop, were you keep longing for more and more instant gratification of your skills. Being able to publish a book is not an index of success either, since (arguably) some published authors could have a far better writing style, some plots are flawed, some characters are shallow ... and yet they get published anyway.

My point is that while **external validation** and **publishing achievements** are surely important, they'll lose value if you don't **believe in your own skills**.

I'm not saying that you should be arrogant and think that you are the best writer out there - you probably aren't. But you shouldn't let self-doubt block you from writing either.

Again, it's fine to have moments of doubt, but don't let those dominate your (writing) life.

> I cannot stop writing.

Well, if that's true, you're in luck. Chances are you'll be writing anyway, so no need to worry. It's your time, it's up to you how you want to use it.

> If I have this right to ask unknown people to spent some hours of their lives with my books?

You can ask. It's in their right to say yes or no. Again, nothing bad with that.

Original score: 23