Guess Who's The Imposter?

“Brenda, I don't want to lie to you anymore. All right? I'm not a doctor. I never went to medical school. I'm not a lawyer, or a Harvard graduate, or a Lutheran. Brenda, I ran away from home a year and a half ago when I was 16.”

“Frank? Frank? You're not a Lutheran?”

In the very entertaining movie, Catch Me If You Can, Leo DeCaprio plays the role of Frank Abagnale Jr, a serial imposter.

In the above scene, Frank confesses his duplicity to his fiancé Brenda Strong (played by Amy Adams).

In your writing life, do you ever feel like Frank Abagnale? A poser. A fake. A fraud. 

Do people ask you about your manuscript and a cringe starts welling up inside?

Do you avoid referring to yourself as an author?

Are you afraid someone’s going to call you out for posing as a writer? 

Welcome to the club.

I didn’t consider myself an adult until I hit 50 (my wife is still waiting for me to grow up!). And I’m still waiting for someone to hackle and yell “Fraud!” when I mention the books I’ve worked on.

It’s depressing to think that after all that hard work writing and, perhaps, publishing, you might still think you’re a phony—you might think you’re not an author at all, or at least not a good one. 

Let's put this to a stop.

Please join me as we explore how you can overcome the Imposter Syndrome.

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We're All Frank Abagnale

What if I told you that your fears of being an impostor are partially true? 

Here’s the secret: no one really knows what they’re doing, especially when they’re just starting out. Nearly everyone feels Impostor Syndrome to some degree, no matter their level of experience.

If they don't—avoid them!

We know that we’re imperfect, and part of the problem is that we build up successful people to be more perfect than they are. 

So, impostor syndrome is truly a struggle of mindset. How do we fix this?

Here's How to Overcome 

The Imposter Syndrome Mindset

Here are a few ways that help me deal with that pesky Imposter Syndrome:

#1. Embrace your feelings but don't let them define you. 

When your emotions send you a message, you should listen. Then dig deep down to figure out why you feel the way you feel. 

Do you constantly compare yourself to other successful writers and friends? Or whenever a copyeditor marks up your manuscript, do you feel like you should quit because you have no business being a writer?

Take it from someone who’s been in the business for 25 years: feeling like a fraud is a normal part of the process. So rest assured—when you doubt your abilities, you’re in good company.

One other word, since we're on the subject...

YOU. ARE. NOT. YOUR. FEELINGS. 

Read that again.

And one more time.

Feelings reflect your emotions in the moment—but they do not define you. When you believe you’re an imposter, do you know how you’re defining yourself? As a victim. A helpless victim.

Who are you really? You are created in the image of almighty God. You are brilliant, gifted, creative, unlimited.

YOU. ARE. AN. AUTHOR.

If you need to, look in the mirror every day and say, "I'm a bestselling author."

Building on that fact...

#2. Watch what you say.

We’re so good at convincing ourselves that we’re fakes.

Instead of saying, “I’m terrible at organization. My chapters are all over the place and never connect to one another,” try saying, “I’m really good at coming up with multiple angles to an issue, I just struggle connecting these different ideas in a way that makes sense.”

Don't say, "I'm a crappy writer!" 

Say, "I need to strengthen my writing skills."

Don't say, "I'm an aspiring author."

Say, "I'm an author." Even if you haven't finished your first novel.

Pay attention to your internal monologue and to how you speak about yourself to others. Words have a powerful effect on our mindset—make sure you keep them positive yet realistic.

# 3. Acknowledge that you have the ability to improve. 

Feeling like an impostor is one thing. Believing it will take you down the rabbit hole and strike a blow to your self-confidence that's tough to overcome.

My best advice is this: be yourself and own your shortcomings. 

The operative word in the above sentence is "own." Owning your shortcomings doesn't mean you're a failure or that you'll never become a successful author (however you define "successful").

You have the ability to do a good job. Unfortunately, far too many people fall prey to terminal potential. They have the ability but don’t believe enough in their ability to exercise it.

You know what’s the difference between writing wannabes and bestselling authors? Hard work and a stroke of luck.

Do everything in your power to sharpen your craft—and let the rest of the details take care of themselves.

Please Join Me

Are you ready to join the impostors? Be someone who dares to try and fail. Be brilliant, gifted, creative, unlimited. 

Are you brave enough to make the necessary sacrifices in order to turn your dreams into reality?

Here's another great way to cure Impostor Syndrome: invite someone who will help you assess what's real and what's not. 

Schedule a meeting with me, and we’ll talk realistically about your strengths and shortcomings as a writer—then, we’ll create a strategy to release your transcendent book. 

One of my favorite words is "possibilities." Your writing skills have possibilities. Your book idea has possibilities. Let's explore them together.

Click here to turn your dream into reality.

Let’s bring your book to life!