298: Confronting Feelings Of Shame, Fear, And Guilt About Writing

Guilt, shame, and fear around academic writing show up far more often than we admit. And for many academics, those emotions become so intertwined with our identity that even seeing the phrase “making time to write” can trigger a full-body “Nope!” 

I was reminded of this last week during the National Women’s Studies Association conference in Puerto Rico. The conference was beautifully integrated with local scholars, activists, and artists, creating a powerful space for community and reflection. 

What surprised me most, though, was the range of reactions people had when they walked by our booth and saw my book. Some people laughed; some avoided eye contact and literally walked (or ran!) away; others said, “You’re making me feel so bad.”

That emotional recoil is exactly why today’s episode exists.

This week, I’m diving deep into what guilt, shame, and overwhelm around writing really reveal—not about you as an individual, but about the sociocultural and institutional contexts you’re working within. If you’ve internalized the idea that your inconsistent writing practice is a personal flaw, this discussion will help you understand why that narrative is wrong, and how to reclaim the sense of agency you absolutely do have.

If you’ve ever thought, “I should be writing,” and immediately felt terrible, this one’s for you. Tune in, and let’s talk about what’s really holding back your academic writing and how to move through it.

For full show notes visit scholarsvoice.org/podcast.

We're receiving applications for our next cohort of Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap®. Check out the program details and start your application process here.

 

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION:

1. Our 12-week Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap® program helps tenure-track womxn and nonbinary professors to publish their backlog of papers so that their voice can have the impact they know is possible. Apply here!

2. Cathy’s book, Making Time to Write: How to Resist the Patriarchy and Take Control of Your Academic Career Through Writing is available in print! Learn how to build your career around your writing practice while shattering the myths of writing every day, accountability, and motivation, doing mindset work that’s going to reshape your writing,and changing academic culture one womxn and nonbinary professor at a time. Get your print copy today or order it for a friend here!

3. If you would like to hear more from Cathy for free, please subscribe to the weekly newsletter, In the Pipeline, at scholarsvoice.org. It’s a newsletter that she personally writes that goes out once a week with writing and publication tips, strategies, inspiration, book reviews and more.

 

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