Dealing with the Impostor Syndrome

by Marcia Lee Laycock @MarciaLaycock

A friend once emailed me to ask for prayer. “I’m having a huge case of Imposter Syndrome,” she explained. She had been asked to lead a workshop at a writers’ conference but was on the edge of backing out. Though she was an accomplished writer with a long CV, she felt inadequate for the job.

Another writer friend once said: “I keep getting the feeling that someday someone will discover what a fraud I am and the jig will be up!”

Sound familiar? 

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When God Says Go by Marcia Lee Laycock

I had to prepare for a speaking engagement lately that made me a little nervous. I was asked to speak to a gathering of over a hundred Christian motorcyclists. I hesitated, until God made it clear that he wanted me to accept the invitation and let me know what it was I was to say. But I was still nervous. The only bike I’ve ever been on was a mini trail bike when I was about eight years old. That’s not much for “street cred.”

But then I thought about the message God had given me and realized how perfect it was. And I remembered what Jesus said to Moses in Exodus 4:12 – “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Was it arrogant to expect He would do the same for me? I remembered too what happened when Moses asked Him to send someone else. God was angry.

So I studied the scripture passage, and did what I was told.

It never ceases to amaze me when God shows up. That’s what the message was about and He demonstrated it that morning.

I’ve had a number of writing projects on the go too. I’ve been using these precious days of summer to tie up some loose ends. One especially I almost let die. It’s a fantasy series that was almost published twice by reputable publishing houses but each time the deals fell through. Then a publisher asked to see it. He liked the idea so a contract for the first book came quickly. There were a couple of things I didn’t like about his process, but sent him the second book. He liked it too and sent another contract. Things began to go awry at that point and to make a long story short I ended up on the wrong end of the stick and the second book never did make it to print. That’s when I almost let it die.

But I received an email from the mom of a boy who had read the first book. He was wondering about book two. Then someone else asked about it. I took that as an indication that God was saying “Go.” So I pulled out those files and went to work, did some editing on book one and refreshed my memory about Createspace. Book two is almost ready to go and I have the cover ready for book three. It’s been fun. I’ve enjoyed renewing my acquaintance with the characters and playing with some of the plot line. Finding just the right images for the covers was also exciting.

I have no idea what God intends with these little books, but I know He has said, “Go,” and go I will. I’m pretty sure He’s going to show up and demonstrate His sovereignty once again, even when it concerns a fantasy series that almost died.

He’s like that. And when He says “Go,” it’s best not to argue.
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Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone. The sequel, A Tumbled Stone was short listed in The Word Awards. Marcia also has two devotional books in print and has contributed to several anthologies. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan. 

 Abundant Rain, an ebook devotional for writers can be downloaded on Smashwords or on Amazon. It is also now available in Journal format on Amazon. 

Her most recent release is a devotional book for travelers: A Traveler's Advisory

Visit Marcia’s Website

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Dwell in the Land, and Cultivate Faithfulness

I'm pleased to have my friend Joylene M. Bailey do a guest post today. I trust you will be inspired by her thoughts on apprenticeship.
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The problem with me is that I want to learn everything at once. I love learning. But I often don’t take the time to learn something well before I’m off to the next thing. (Which is a strange practice for a perfectionist, now that I think about it.)

I just want to know everything. I can’t begin to explain how disappointed I was at the age of 34 - married with children - to suddenly come to the realization that I would never know everything there was to know in the world.

Devastated doesn’t even come close.
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Apprenticeship is very different from learning something quickly and moving on to the next enticing thing. When I picture an apprentice, I picture a student walking with his master. Watching closely, listening carefully, mimicking the movements, learning the tone of voice.

Apprentices of the Middle Ages actually lived with their masters’ families. For several years!

By the end of their apprenticeship they would have understood the meaning in every raised eyebrow, every twitch of the lips, every “harrumph!” that they encountered in their master’s actions. And they would have understood their craft inside out and backwards.

This week I have been pondering Psalm 37, with regards to my writing. Verses familiar to me that I have had highlighted for many years:

Verse 3. Trust in the LORD, and do good …

Verse 4. Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Verse 5. Commit your way to the LORD …

Verse 7. Rest in the LORD …


But what’s this? Artfully tucked between Trust in the LORD and Delight yourself in the LORD are two little lines conveniently skipped over time and again:

Dwell in the land

and cultivate faithfulness.


That, to me, is apprenticeship at its core. Dwelling in the land of writers is an apprenticeship with community. I like to dwell in the land of writers.

I am fresh off a Spring WorDshop, (sponsored by InScribe Christian Writers' Fellowship) where it was invigorating to breathe the same air as like-minded people. And I learned so many things I had never thought about in quite that way before.

I love my writers group, where I can bounce ideas off of trusted writer friends, get constructive feedback, and grow in my craft.

That’s dwelling in the land of writers.

Cultivating faithfulness takes work and attention, and is part of the apprenticeship that is often done alone.

The definition of cultivate is:

- - to grow and care for

- - to foster the growth of

- - to improve by labour, care, and study


There is something about this part of apprenticeship that is just so … daily. It’s not something quickly learned, enabling me to blissfully skip off to learn something new. It’s a step by step, day by day growing, improving, and knowing.

It’s being faithful to the word and the Word.

Day in and day out, sitting my bottom in the chair and putting my fingers to the keyboard. This is the hard part for someone who likes to go off to learn the latest thing. Someone like me. But I think that dwelling in the land and cultivating faithfulness with my writing is the best possible apprenticeship I could have.

LORD, I trust in You. I commit my writing to You. Grant me the motivation, determination, and focus to be faithful in my apprenticeship. Above all, may it bring You glory.
Amen.
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Joylene M. Bailey writes because. What began as making up childhood stories to put herself to sleep at night, became creating stories and songs for her three daughters. This entertainment morphed into writing articles and stories for children’s publications, writing rhymes for her grandson, and blogging at www.scrapsofjoy.com . 

Her current work in progress is a novel about a wandering little girl and her flawed but loving mother. Joy and her husband live in Alberta, Canada, and are relishing their recent transition to empty nesting.

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