Doubts. We all have them. Doubts about whether we’re really qualified for that great-sounding job or whether we can really summon up the courage to go black water rafting (it’s a thing). Doubts about whether the third helping of gravy for Christmas dinner was really as good an idea as it seemed at the time. Doubts about our writing, and our ability to make a success of our independent publishing dream.

Those doubts can hurt, but I think they can also be helpful. To doubt yourself is to show that you care. It shows that you want to be good – to be the best you can be – and that you believe there is still room for improvement. No matter how good or successful you already are, that is important. We can always improve, and if we doubt that we can then, well, we should doubt that too.

But we definitely shouldn’t let our doubts become crippling. It can be almost too easy to say “no, I can’t do it, therefore I won’t try anymore.” When you’ve had a particularly bad day of writing, or when the formatting for your self-published book just won’t work properly, it can almost be cathartic to step away from it.

There is a difference, though, between taking a break from something and leaving it entirely. Having doubts can force a pause, and that can be a good thing. Sometimes a bit of time away from your writing endeavours or your self-publishing project can be useful. It can give you perspective and the time and space to develop new creative ideas. However, leaving a project entirely is never satisfying, and it can put you off trying again.

And, when you consider how passionate most writers are about what they do, that’s a great shame.

So when you find yourself doubting what you’re doing, give yourself the space to step back and ask exactly why you’re having those doubts. Try and be rational about it, and work out where they are coming from. It often leads to answers that you can resolve – things to fix and work on. It can also lead to working out what it is you really want. Are you doubting yourself, for instance, because there’s some other writing project you’d rather be doing? Are you doubting your self-publishing adventure because you’re not sure of the process, or because your book could use some more work first?

This method of questioning can be a useful exercise, and it can develop our capacity to solve problems with our writing so we can improve and move on from the issues that used to trouble us.

How do you deal with your writing and publishing doubts, and what do you think are the doubts that do the most harm to authors?