3: What if it's Not Writer's Block - It's Just Fear, Perfectionism, and that Inner Critic Again?

I’ve lost count of how many times I almost quit writing this book.

Not because I didn’t love the story, but because every time I sat down to write, a voice in my head whispered: This is terrible. You can’t write anything good or original. This sounds like a six-year-old wrote it.

Sound familiar?

Now that I’m closing in on the 25% mark of my first draft (dancing for joy right now), I’m convinced writing a first draft is 95% mental game and 5% actual words on a page.

I swear, I spent more time talking my ego off the ledge than actually writing sentences. My inner critic seemed to think my first draft needed to hit the New York Times Bestseller list (and don’t get me wrong, that’s still the dream—but maybe not first draft pressure!).

These mental blocks? They were exactly what kept me from writing my story for fifteen years. It wasn’t until I shifted my mindset that I started believing I could actually finish what I started at twelve years old.

If you are relating so far, I am excited to be the one to tell you: it's not writer's block.

What Is a Limiting Belief?

A limiting belief is a thought so deeply ingrained in your subconscious, you live as though it’s an undeniable fact.

Let me give you a non-writing example to show what I mean:

For years, I believed I just wasn’t one of those people who “gets to have money.” I grew up watching my parents work incredibly hard and still struggle financially. So I learned (subconsciously and totally not their fault—they were doing the best they could!) that no matter how hard I worked, I’d never get ahead.

That belief played out exactly as expected: I racked up debt, lived paycheck to paycheck, and stressed about money constantly.

So if we want the external goal (hello, published book), we’ve got to do some work on the internal reality (our beliefs about writing, creativity, and success).

Make Friends With Your Ego

Limiting beliefs come from your ego—that voice in your head that’s always on high alert, keeping a catalogue of every warning bell it's ever rung.

But here’s the twist: your ego thinks it’s helping.

Its job is to protect you. To keep you safe. And in its eyes, trying something new (like writing a book!) is a huge risk.

Honestly, your ego is like an overprotective parent (think helicopter style) who slaps bubble wrap on everything and yells “Watch out!” every two seconds.

So instead of trying to silence your ego or shame it, make friends with it. Reassure it. Thank it. Let it know you’ve got this.

Not sure what that looks like in action? Let’s break down three very common limiting beliefs that creep in when writing a first draft:

Three Ego Meltdowns When Writing a First Draft:

1.      Perfectionism

2.      Fear

3.      Self-Criticism

1. Perfectionism

Perfectionism is your ego’s way of trying to build a safety net.

“If the book is perfect, no one will criticise it.”

Well, I hate to break it to you—but even the most perfectly crafted stories still get one-star reviews. Because people are different. Tastes are subjective. You could write the next great novel of our time and someone out there will still call it “meh.”

The antidote? Let go of the illusion of safety. Especially during the first draft.

Affirmations That Help Me:

• Progress is more important than perfection.

• First drafts are messy, and that’s okay.

• All a first draft has to do is exist.

• I’m writing the book I want to read. My authenticity will attract aligned readers.

2. Fear

Putting your work out there is vulnerable. Your ego hates that. It starts whispering things like:

“This is too risky.”

“What if people hate it?”

“Being an author isn’t a real job.”

And if the fear grows louder than your desire to write, you’ll find yourself stalling—or worse, giving up entirely.

This almost happened to me. At the end of 2024, I realised I was at a crossroads: either really commit to writing my story… or reach the end of my life wondering “what if?”

That’s when I invested in the 10-Month First Draft Course with The Writing Studio Australia. Because the fear of never telling this story I’ve been carrying for fifteen years? That fear is bigger than the fear of criticism.

Affirmations That Help Me:

• I’m not afraid of failing—because failure isn’t even on the table.

• I don’t fail, I redirect.

• Rejection = redirection.

3. Self-Criticism

We are so. damn. hard. on ourselves.

The moment we write something clunky or awkward, we’re the first to tear it down.

But here’s the truth: comparing your messy first draft to a finished novel is like judging a book by the initial concept. One is literally an idea that is yet to find its voice—the other’s been through five rewrites and a professional glow-up.

So, as of right now, make the declaration to yourself that you are unsubscribing to self-depreciating talk because all this is achieving is an unfinished first draft and a negative experience writing.

Next Time Your Inner Critic Shows Up, Try This Instead:

• “Yep, that scene’s rough. I’ll clean it up in draft two.”

• “Thanks for the feedback, ego. Noted for later.”

• “This is a first draft. It’s allowed to be crap.”

• Every author started exactly where I am.

Practice Makes (Almost) Perfect

Back in late 2024, I still believed every word I wrote had to be gold. I was afraid to tell people I was writing a book in case they judged me.

Now? I tell everyone.

Because I’m unshakable in my vision. I know I’m going to be an author. And every time someone else projects their fear and concerns onto me, it’s just another chance to anchor even deeper into my own belief.

These days, my ego doesn’t scream anymore. It gently taps me on the shoulder like, “Hey… we sure about this?” And I smile and say, “Yep, we’ve got this.”

I still get doubt. I still get fear. But they don’t derail me anymore. I’ve got the tools now. I know how to shift back into joy when writing. And from that space? Creativity flows.

I’m nearly 25% into my first draft—and I’ve never felt more certain that I will finish this first draft by the end of 2025.

And you can absolutely hold me to that!

Happy writing,

Renee Ella

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