Affirmations for writers

We’re writers – of course we struggle to stay motivated.

Using affirmations can be a great way to stay motivated and challenge imposter syndrome. I’ve used affirming statements to help me get through many situations. To help myself and others more, I’ve compiled 91 affirmations for writers.

Many of us could benefit from creating self-care techniques to benefit us when writing or dealing with rejections. No matter what you write or how you want to get your writing out to readers, you might find some benefits from reading through these affirmations for writers.

Not all affirmations will work for everyone. Find the ones that work for you. And if you’ve never tried using affirmations, I’ve got some suggestions below.

How to use affirmations

Affirmations are positive statements that help you change your mindset. They’re commonly used for self-care around mental health, by repeating an affirmations like “I’m okay” or “I can get through this” to help you get through negative feelings and situations.

By repeating affirmations to yourself, you challenge your negative thoughts and feelings. For writers, especially those of us who deal with imposter syndrome, writing affirmations are a valuable tool for coping with thoughts and helping us stay motivated to write.

For some people, affirmations work best when you tell them to yourself. You can change the affirmations below by replacing ‘you’ with ‘I’. For instance:

I’m trying, and that’s what matters.

For other people, affirmations work best when it feels like someone else to talking to you. The affirmations for writers below have all been written in this style, because that’s what works for me.

You can also find other sources of affirmations, like The Latest Kate. Try collecting ones that work for you and create a personal writer’s self-care package for yourself.

You might find it helpful to build up one phrase you can tell yourself at the beginning of your writing routine. Combine multiple writing affirmations for more strength, like:

I’m trying my best, and my best is amazing, it doesn’t have to be perfect.

91 affirmations for writers

You can’t always rely on other people to enjoy your writing. Sometimes just enjoying the act of writing is enough.

It’s okay for this to be “good enough”. You can come back to it later.

It’s okay to feel like you could learn more. You’re a work in progress, just like your writing.

Writing is hard. You’re doing great.

You don’t need to be so hard on yourself. You’re doing your best.

Writing feels hard because it is hard. Be kinder to yourself.

You’re trying your best, and that’s what counts.

Don’t give up writing.

Your future is up to future you. You just focus on today’s problems.

It’s okay if you don’t make as much progress today as you wanted to.

Writing is tough, but you are too.

Writing advice doesn’t have to work for you. You can do your own thing.

Well done on getting past all the struggles so far.

It’s okay to take a break.

A first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. A second draft doesn’t have to be perfect. Keep going.

Everyone writes at their own pace. Your pace is okay.

It’s okay to not feel like writing today. Tomorrow is another day.

It’s okay to make mistakes. You can fix them later.

You don’t have to know what you’re doing to try anyway.

It’s okay to feel stuck sometimes. You can work through it.

It doesn’t matter how much you write. You’re still writing.

Your writing is amazing.

Seeking validation from others isn’t a bad thing. Just take it easy.

You might feel like your writing today isn’t your best, but you are putting your best into your writing.

Your progress can slow down, but it can’t go backwards.

You don’t need to complete everything today. It’s enough just to do a little.

A writer is just someone who writes. You’re already a writer.

There’s a place for everyone’s writing, including yours.

It’s never too late to start again.

You’ve come so far.

Your efforts matter. You can write in any way that works for you.

Your writing doesn’t have to be perfect to be worthy of publishing.

There will always be people who enjoy your writing, even if you haven’t found them yet.

Your mistakes don’t define you as a writer.

You’re still writing; that’s an achievement on its own.

Today can be a day for accepting your progress, you don’t have to make progress every day to acknowledge how far you’ve come.

You don’t have to know how your writing will be published. You can figure it out when you’re ready.

You can finish this chapter.

Keep trying.

You don’t have to be as good as your favourite writer. Your writing still has worth.

You are a writer. Your writing belongs somewhere.

Take it one word at a time. You’ve got this.

You don’t have to throw out all your hard work. You can rewrite it.

Nobody expects you to be perfect. Everyone is just finding their way.

Take care of yourself.

One more word today is still one more word than yesterday.

You can’t control other people’s expectations, but you can amend your own.

It’s okay to need a break from writing. You can write more later.

You can be proud of yourself; you should be proud of yourself.

You can compliment yourself. It’s okay to be proud of your achievements and how far you’ve come.

It’s okay to just write as much as you can today.

You don’t have to be so hard on yourself. You’re doing the best you can.

It’s okay to jump to another writing project.

A word at a time will still help you get to the end.

You don’t have to prove you can write to anyone. Your writing is worth something.

You’ll appreciate the struggles you’ve been through in the future. You can get through this.

You’re not disappointing anyone by needing a bit more time to write.

Your feelings right now will pass.

You don’t have to compare yourself to other writers. Everyone is doing their best.

Struggling to write doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer. Every writer struggles.

One chapter at a time.

When everything feels bad, think about one thing you like in your writing. Focus on that feeling.

Nobody else is paying as much attention to your mistakes as you are.

Have patience with your progress. You’re still achieving so much.

A bad day, chapter, or paragraph doesn’t erase your progress.

You can celebrate your accomplishments. No matter how small or how many.

Your efforts will pay off, even if that’s not right now.

Stay positive: you’re making progress.

There are readers who want to read your writing.

You deserve to have your writing published, whatever way that works for you.

You don’t have to know everything about writing to be a writer.

You’re trying, and that’s what matters.

All writing is creative. Including yours.

Take a break, and then you can figure this out.

Your writing can be full of mistakes. It’s okay. You can fix them in the future.

There’s a way through this slump. You just need to find it.

There’s no such thing as a perfect way to write. You’re doing great.

Nobody can tell this story like you can.

You’re a writer. You’ve got this.

Your efforts matter, even if you don’t feel like you’re getting as far as you’d like.

Writing is hard enough without criticising yourself. Be kind to yourself.

Nobody else can write like you can.

Your writing doesn’t need to appeal to everyone.

Your writing could be rejected by every publisher and your writing would still matter.

You’re capable of writing this. Believe in yourself.

It’s okay not to be everyone’s favourite writer.

It’s okay to not write anything right now. Try again later.

Even if you don’t write every day, you are still a writer.

Struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing. It doesn’t mean your writing is bad. It just means you might need some support.

Your writing is brilliant, even if it’s not for everyone.

Your writing doesn’t have to be perfect to be enjoyable.