Nobody tells you this about writing. No one told me this, I learnt it all the hard way. So here it is, the tough love gentle truth combo that every first time writer deserves to know: You won’t always feel like a writer. Even when you’re writing. Even when you’re published. But you are. That feeling is lying. It's your imposter syndrome. I still suffer from it after 17 published books. But I now know to catch it when it starts and tell myself differently. The first draft will probably suck. Correction. Not probably. It will suck. That’s why it is a first draft. There will also never be perfection. But there will be rewrites and getting as close to perfection as you can. Which brings me to... You’ll rewrite more than you write. Writing is mostly rewriting over and over again until you have a million versions of your manuscript and are totally confused as to why you are doing this to yourself and that you would have been better off writing code or being a banker. Your best ideas will arrive when you’re nowhere near your desk. In the bathroom. While showering. While you're stuck in a traffic jam. When you're out on a walk. While you're falling asleep. Or even when you're asleep. Not convenient. Mostly brilliant. Some, of course, will be vampires. They disintegrate in sunlight. Feedback will sting. Not everyone will be kind. Some will be particularly nasty. But it helps you grow as a writer, but first grow a really thick skin. If you get yourself a carapace, all the better. At some point, you will hate your manuscript. It’s not personal. It’s part of the process. Take a break, then get back to it. Publishing won’t magically erase your self-doubt. That is the essence of being a creative person, a person who thinks. The one with no self doubt has nothing to offer the world except cliches. You’ll spend more time staring at your screen than typing. Don't devalue your thinking. It is an integral part of your writing process. Keep time aside just to think. You’re not alone. Writing is a lonely profession. But every single writer struggles with the dichotomy of the loneliness of the profession and the need to be part of a community. Step out, meet people, then withdraw again. That's the only way to keep going. The only way to finish writing something? Keep at it. Unfinished manuscripts are the bane of aspiring writers. It doesn't matter how good your work is if you don't put in the work to hit "The End." Which one hit you the hardest? What would you add to this list? Tag a writer who needs this reminder today. And don’t forget — you’re doing better than you think. #WritingLife #WriterRealityCheck #AmWriting #WritersOfInstagram #WritingTips #KeepGoing #CreativeProcess #ChasingCreativity #KiranManralWrites