When Self Doubt Rears Its Ugly Head

No matter how much you write, no matter how accomplished you are, your work will come under scrutiny. And on a personal level, I am my own worst critic.

They say publishing is a subjective business, but to me, it's downright bipolar.

I can write something that, at the time, I think is a masterpiece, only to come back to it a day later and realize it's garbage, but I still save it because when I come back to it again, it's really not that bad.

Or is it?

This is me. Daily. I struggle to write because I struggle with whether or not I'm good enough. It all boils down to fear of rejection. Do I like it? Does my critique group like it? Do my beta readers like it? Will my agent like it? Will an editor like it? Will it get published? Will my readers like it? Will my reviewers like it?

But in the end, I realize I can't please everyone no matter how hard I try. I force myself to push through the fear, and I write. Because I can't see myself not writing. Even if the story doesn't go any further than my own laptop, at least the characters inside my head have spoken. Their stories have been told. And that's enough for me.

And if someone else likes it? Well, then that's a bonus.

What do you do when self doubt rears its ugly head?