Listening to my favorite authors talk about their writing experience always gives me a sense of relief and motivation. Lately, I been listening to authors talk about their writing habits, ideas, and techniques on podcasts.

Here are some sunny bits of advice I got for cloudy NaNoWriMo days.

1. Writers Get Creative Freedom

As a creative individual with ideas brimming out of the brain, it feels reassuring to know that we can explore a wide array of mediums. Most days I write fiction. But some days I like to sketch my imagination and some days rant/blog about the absurdities of being a writer.

2. Writers Can Be Oddballs

We stick our butt in a chair and write about people we have never known and places we have never been to. We build realms that can make us dance with joy or scream in terror. But they are our realms.

3. Writers Explore with Detours  

There are plotters and there are pantsers. But either way, as writers we have a destination in mind. We might not see the entire map, but we can see at least a few miles ahead. Sometimes around a corner, we see many roads and the story goes on a different route. It will reach an endpoint. But it may surprise us which is just as great.

4. Writers Have A Secret Weapon

And it is called the Imposter Syndrome. It is a double-edged sword. Some days it drives us to learn more and grow our talent. And on some days, it cripples us enough to doubt ourselves.

As writers, we all move at our own pace and we know more than we did yesterday. As long as we keep creating new ideas on our page, we are growing. Imposter Syndrome isn’t our Medusa. It won’t petrify us. It will encourage us to write better.