Writing Blog Number 2

20240417 Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is something that affects a lot of writers, especially when they start to get accolades or sales. It is a hard transition to go from something that may have been a hobby or a part of your life to something that gets you recognition. You feel you don’t deserve it and question why you’re being looked at in the way you are.

That is “Imposter Syndrome.”

However, let me start from a different angle. The following is a common story, and these sort of people are people I have encountered here on WdC. Not too often, but often enough.

A person asks you to beta read their manuscript, or maybe pay you for editing, before they send it to a few agents who they are sure will pick it up. They tell you this will sell to one of the Big 5 publishers because it is that damn good. You proofread and edit 50 pages of his 350 page work. If you were a teacher, you would have worn out three red pens. There is no story; it is something that happens. You decide to rewrite, from scratch, the first chapter to show them how to format and what a story entails. This person tells you you’re full of shit, you’re jealous, this is a masterpiece, and they know it.

You have done courses, been edited and received some accolades, maybe even had a few short stories or poems traditionally published. You think you’re wasting everyone’s time; they think they are going to be the next David Mitchell (or, probably, EL James). You have Imposter Syndrome; they have unrealistic expectations and unrealistic impressions of their own ability.

Okay, let’s look at this logically. Maybe they’re really optimistic and don’t realise agents take less than 1 in 200 submissions. Maybe they have had success in other aspects of their life, and think this will be as easy. Maybe they don’t read much and don’t realise what their shortcomings are. On the other hand, you understand the industry and realise the writing world is as cut-throat as anything, maybe second only to the acting world or visual art world. You know you have to fight to survive.

But there is a psychological reason. It’s called the Dunning-Kruger Effect. First postulated in 1999 and subsequently proved many times, Dunning and Kruger discovered that people with low level of ability in a field tend to overestimate their talent or abilities in that field. They don’t know what they don’t know, but have an inkling of what is required, the bare minimum. The most common thing in Dunning-Kruger is they have a small bit of knowledge and take that to mean they know everything about a topic. This is where pseudo-science comes to the fore. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

However, the Dunning-Kruger Effect does go on and finds the inverse is also true: people with a high level of ability or a higher talent in a field often underestimate their skill in that field.

And isn’t that what Imposter Syndrome is?

What causes this? No-one knows. For a writer, it could be rejections, a string of bad reviews, comparing themselves to the best writers unfavourably, apathy about their chosen career (and apathy can be more harmful than hostility), thinking they have not improved since they started ten years earlier (or more). But also ask if this goes into other aspects of your life?

In my case, I suffer quite badly. I have over 100 pieces traditionally published, including 5 books, and yet I know I am crap. I was also a crap teacher, despite winning awards for my teaching three times in my career. I was a terrible pro wrestler, despite having a career lasting more than 20 years.

But I keep trying. Because I can do nothing else.

So, you might have Imposter Syndrome, and it might be holding you back, but, in my mind, it is preferable to the alternative, and suffer from Idol Syndrome – you think you’re great because your mum/ sibling/ grandma/ friends tell you you’re great. (Yes, I’ve mentioned Idol Syndrome before – the worst thing to happen to any artist.)