By Zee Burger
October has crept in with the first whispers of Halloween: shadows flickering, old houses creaking, mysterious things lurking just out of sight. As writers, we know those shadows well — especially the ones that live inside us! The stall. The self-doubt. The fear that our stories are hollow. No wonder this month suddenly feels just right for staring down our own monsters.
Because here’s the truth: every committed author wrestles with inner demons. Everyone! The difference is whether you let them become your jailers or your sparring partners. You see, they love living rent-free in our minds because we allow them to. So… strap on your (metaphoric) silver daggers because this month’s blog is your guide to recognizing, confronting, and sometimes even befriending those demons so they stop bleeding your joy.
1. Meet your monsters
Before we go to war, we should name the enemy. Here are some of the most common inner monsters your writer-brain might be hiding:
- Imposter Syndrome — That snide voice that whispers: “Soon they’ll find out you’re a fraud.” It’s perhaps the most universal demon. As Tommy C put it: “We all have demons that derail our writing productivity — perfectionism. Writer’s block. For me, it’s imposter syndrome.”
- Perfectionism / The “Never Enough” Monster — Like Wednesday Addams you can’t publish until it’s perfect. So you tweak forever…
- Procrastination / The Seducer — It tempts you with social media, researching rabbit holes, cleaning your desk… anything but writing.
- Fear of Failure / Fear of Exposure — What if people hate it? What if it tanks? What if your pen name becomes a punchline?
- Comparison / Envy Ghost — That upper level monster who drags other writers’ successes in your face and whispers, “Why are you not there yet, hmm?”
The scariest part? These monsters are a dime a dozen because theystalk every writer, regardless of credentials. But when they control you, they will suffocate your creativity.
2. Don’t try to kill them — outwit, outplay and outlast them!
Like me, you might wish you could vanquish all of them in a single swoop. But this is like playing Literary Survivor hun so here’s a more practical path: you don’t eradicate them; you manage them!
Give them small space, but not control
Imposter syndrome doesn’t vanish just because you ignore it. Instead of being ashamed of your self-doubt, treat it like a mischievous companion — listen, but don’t obey.
You might accept, “Yes, you’re here, Monster. I hear you. But today I’m writing anyway.”
Rituals & constraints as exorcism tools
- Timed writing sprints (Pomodoro-style) force your monster to stay quiet for 25 minutes.
- Free-writing (morning pages, stream-of-consciousness) helps push the perfectionist demon aside — you write crap first, then refine.
- “Bad first draft” agreements: vow to produce something ugly. Yes, you feed the demons when you give the monsters food, making them less hungry for your creativity.
Name it, shame it, share it
Once you name the monster — “Oh, that’s Perfectionism creeping in again” — it loses power. In one of your writing groups, tell fellow writers: “I’m stuck because I feel it’s not good enough.” You’ll be surprised how many people cheer “Yes, me too!”
Abigayle Blood, in Facing the Fear and Imposter Syndrome, says writers often believe they’re alone. But articulating it—even poorly—already chips away at its grip.
3. Tools & allies: Where to bring backup
Facing demons solo is exhausting. Here are strange, unusual, and powerful allies you might want to call on:
✴ Online writing communities & peer critique systems
- Scribophile: a long-running writing community where you earn “karma” by critiquing others, then trade that karma to get critiques on your own work. It helps you see both sides of the fight.
- Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG): a group for writers of all levels who share their fears, failures, and tiny victories.
- Absolute Write Water Cooler & writing forums: places to rant, ask questions, and find solidarity. Just knowing others are fighting similar battles helps.
- Shut Up & Write!: these are focused, no-chat sessions (online or in person) where writers set a goal and write in silence together. No critique, no reading — just a shared energy field to ward off demons.
✴ Local or niche groups & crit circles
- Ask your local library, bookstore, or writing center for critique groups.
- Mystery-author clubs like Sisters in Crime can offer genre-specific support (if you write suspense, crime, or thrillers).
- Larger umbrella organizations (e.g. Writers’ League of Texas) sometimes host free webinars, critique calls, or workshops you can join remotely.
✴ Uncommon but powerful help
- Therapeutic writing / journaling: not your novel, but raw emotional dumps — let the monsters scream on the page.
- Mindfulness / meditation / breathing practices: so not a radical or woo-woo idea — calm your body to starve the monster’s tension.
- Mentorship or coaching: find someone a few steps ahead who can spot when your demons are bluffing and push you past them.
4. A month-long ritual: “October Exorcism for Writers”
Here’s a playful but practical 4-week ritual you can adapt and name however you like. Think of it as a seasonal contract you make with yourself.
| Week | Focus | Action | Purpose |
| Week 1 | “Introduce Yourself to the Monsters” | Write one page listing every fear, doubt, comparison, and creative demon you feel. Name them. | Bringing shadows into light reduces their power. |
| Week 2 | “Duel Mode” | Pick one monster (say, Perfectionism). Every time it whispers, carry out a small act of defiance: write a bad sentence, post an imperfect draft, or let your language be ugly. | You teach that monster it doesn’t have veto power. |
| Week 3 | “Summon Reinforcements” | Join one online community, attend a Shut Up & Write! session, share a fear publicly in a writing group. | You bring external light into the dark. |
| Week 4 | “Offer Peace, Not War” | Write a letter to your demons. Promise them occasional attention (journal sessions), but make clear boundaries: they don’t hold your pen. | You shift from fear to authority. |
By Halloween, you should be breathing more freely — uneasy, perhaps, but walking forward again.
5. When your monster crashes the party mid-draft
You’ve started a story. The first act flows. But then the monster reappears:
“This is worthless. Who do you even think you are?!”
Here’s a toolkit for those nights:
- “Cancel the critique session” trick: tell the demon: fine, trade your time now for critique later. Then write for 15 minutes with your eyes closed or hands unseen.
- Alternate scenes method: if one section is haunted, leap into another — perhaps a side character’s scene. Keep momentum alive.
- “Let it be bad” pass: promise yourself that your first draft in this session will be terrible. That merciful permission totally disarms the monster.
- Reframe as experiment: whisper, “I’m not proving a masterpiece now—I’m just poking around.” That instantly reduces the stakes.
- Micro-finished test: write 50 words, then stop. Then go and celebrate stopping! Sometimes breaking the monster’s demand for “long and perfect” is all you need.
6. Why this battle matters beyond publishing
Being a writer isn’t about producing a bestseller. Like any relationship it’s one you invest in – day after day – even in the dark. And, like all monsters, they’ll test your loyalty, your perseverance and your voice.
If you let them purge you, they’ll drain the fuel of what you care about most: your stories, your voice, your joy. However, if you face them, they can sharpen you. They can most assuredly teach you discipline, humility, radical courage. Sounds a lot like literary inner work to me and I’m down for all of that!
7. Final spook + nudge
This October, don’t hope the monsters vanish. They won’t. But take steps:
- Try Scribophile and post a short scene so you see your flaws and strengths mirrored by others.
- Join a Shut Up & Write! session (search your city or try an online block) and write beside invisible fellow warriors.
- Share one fear in a writers’ support community like the Insecure Writer’s Support Group or an Absolute Write forum.
If you still feel you’d rather do this one-on-one, why not take Zee up on her FREE special Halloween offer to her author community? She’s more than just an author of the well-known nonfiction book called AI god: An (experimental) Interview, you know… Follow the social media links listed underneath for a dm or send an email titled “Halloween Guidance” to the email address. Feel free to contact her for any physical, mental, emotional, spiritual or literary guidance – just as long as you let your monsters see you’re not hiding but still writing despite thinning veils!
Happy October my warrior friend — may your demons tremble at the sound of your keyboard and your feet tapping to the Monster Mash!