Learning to Dance with Self-Doubt as a Writer with Amy L. Bernstein

Have you ever felt like self-doubt was holding your writing dreams hostage? Oh friend, you’re definitely not alone. In this episode of The Write It Scared Podcast, I had an incredible chat with the wonderful Amy Bernstein, author of Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears and Finding Inspiration.

We got real about the ways self-doubt creeps into our creative lives, and how—even though it's uncomfortable—it's also totally normal. Amy opened up about her own journey with doubt, what inspired her to write her book, and shared practical (and gentle!) strategies to navigate that nagging voice inside your head.

Here's what you'll find in our conversation:

• Why doubt isn't always the enemy (spoiler: sometimes it's a powerful creative ally)
  
  
  
• How to use the improv-inspired mindset of "Yes, and..." to navigate creative uncertainty and fear
  
  
  
• Real talk about handling rejection, building persistence, and finding your creative path despite doubt
  
  
  
• Personal insights and relatable experiences from Amy’s own writing journey (and a few from mine, too!)
  
  
  

If you're wrestling with doubt—and let's be honest, who isn't?—you'll walk away from this episode feeling seen, inspired, and ready to embrace your creative path, self-doubt included.

Episode Breakdown

• 00:00 – Facing doubt head-on (you've got this!)
  
  
  
• 00:28 – Welcome back to Write It Scared!
  
  
  
• 01:33 – Diving deep: self-doubt and creativity
  
  
  
• 01:55 – Meet the amazing Amy Bernstein
  
  
  
• 03:52 – Amy’s personal journey with writing and doubt
  
  
  
• 07:09 – Why doubt can be powerful (yes, really!)
  
  
  
• 20:32 – How to navigate creative risks when doubt creeps in
  
  
  
• 22:17 – Using the “Yes, and…” approach to keep going
  
  
  
• 23:19 – Embracing rejection, persistence, and growth
  
  
  
• 25:46 – Understanding doubt’s role in the creative process
  
  
  
• 27:59 – Personal stories of battling doubt (we've all been there!)
  
  
  
• 30:15 – Finding your true creative path
  
  
  
• 35:41 – Building your inner resources for writing
  
  
  
• 37:45 – Wrapping up with encouragement and final thoughts
  
  

Keep going, keep writing, and keep believing in yourself. You've absolutely got this.

Amy L. Bernstein is the author, most recently, of Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration, an inspirational book for self-doubting creatives. She is an award-winning novelist, a former journalist, and a certified nonfiction book coach helping authors find their best path to