IMPOSTER syndrome
Do you feel a fraud when you tell people you’re a writer? You’re not alone, says Lorraine Mace
I have had six novels and several non-fiction books traditionally published, but still frequently doubt my ability to craft a sentence, never mind a 90,000- word novel. I’m always amazed when the final product appears and I hold it, newly published, in my trembling mitts wondering: did I really write all those words? There is a surreal sense of elation when a book is accepted, but as with so many authors, I am all too soon brought back down to earth by the fear that, gasp, maybe the publisher made a mistake. What if the editor realises that I am actually a fraud and the book is no good, but somehow I’ve managed to con her into thinking it is? Ridiculous, of course, but all too real at silly o’clock in the morning when the doubts are strongest.