Dear Impostor Syndrome,
While I know you’re always lurking, I appreciate that most of the time my cheerleader voice is louder than yours. You might be frustrated that despite your insistence to stick around, I refuse to let you interfere in all the things I set out to do. Fair, I suppose. I’m frustrated that you won’t just take the hint: Find something better to do with your persistence, leave me alone!
You probably think you have a shot at settling in, cuddling even, now that my first book is out. I’ve been thinking about all the ways I could have done better with the process, the story, the narrative ARC, descriptions, all of it.
But here’s the thing: Those are notes to self; they are part of my learning curve. I hear your insidious voice trying to tell me readers will be disappointed, but I know it’s a good enough story, and part of my journey on to becoming an even better writer.
So, you may want to rethink your whole existence and ability to thwart me (is this me becoming your Impostor syndrome? Plot twist!). If you really want to stick around, then maybe you can join my team properly and apply your skills to enable me to be better at spotting areas for improvement and riding that learning curve out.
Because I’m here to stay, and I don’t plan on quitting writing anytime soon. So, you can either be with me, or I’ll keep ignoring you.
Sincerely,
S. M. Radjy, published author.
(That may or may not be my real author signature. The jury is still out!)