1. Writing is too hard. I can’t do it.
2. Writing stories is complicated. I’m not smart enough.
3. No one will want to read my story, I have nothing important to say.
4. My work will never change even one person’s life. I’m not that special.
5. People younger than me have already accomplished way more than I ever will. It’s too late for me.
6. I’ll never have the discipline to finish a big writing project. I might as well just give up now.
7. No one will ever be able to relate to my characters, I shouldn’t even finish this story.
8. I’m so bad at [insert thing you think you’re terrible at]. I’ll never learn how to get better at it.
9. I’ll never be as successful as I want to be. It’s too much. It’s too overwhelming.
10. People who tell me they like my writing must be lying. They’re just trying to make me feel better.
11. I’m not worth getting paid a reasonable amount for my work.
12. I need to focus on things that are more practical. Writing will never be a big part of my life.
Meg is the creator of Novelty Revisions, dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. She is an editor and writer, and a 12-time NaNoWriMo winner. Follow Meg on Twitter for tweets about writing, food, and Star Wars.
Meg Dowell Writes 
I recently started a new WIP and I swear you’ve dragged all these thoughts straight from my brain hahaha. Great post <3
I resonate with number 5. Thank you for mentioning and validating it! Something helpful for me is to think about my time as a runner. The first place winner could have a bad day even though they won – they would feel terrible! The last place person could have made a new personal record and feel amazing, even though they were last! Comparison is helpful only for learning, not for measurement of success!
Thank you!