Imposter Syndrome: Why Writers Feel Like Frauds
January 5, 2026
Featured Guest:
Lindsey Goldstein
Lindsey Goldstein juggles writing, parenthood, and a part-time job as a physical therapist. She has published essays about love and parenting in The New York Times (Modern Love column), Kveller, The Sunlight Press, and the Chicago Story Press. Gap Year, which releases February 3, is her debut novel.
📸 Instagram: goldsteinlindseyd
Imposter syndrome: the uninvited co-author on every writing project. In this episode of Margs & Manuscripts, we’re digging into what it really means to feel like a fraud as a writer, no matter where you are in the process.
We’re joined by Lindsey Goldstein, author of the upcoming novel Gap Year (out February 3), for an honest conversation about self-doubt, comparison, confidence, and why publishing milestones don’t magically cure the voice in your head that says you don’t belong here.
If you’ve ever questioned your talent, your voice, or your right to call yourself a writer…this episode is for you. It’s candid, comforting, and hopefully makes you feel less alone.
Pour a drink. Open the doc. Let’s talk about it.
In This Episode
How imposter syndrome shows up at different stages of a writing career
Why even “successful” writers still feel like they’re faking it
The impact of social media and comparison culture on creativity
What actually helps when self-doubt threatens to derail your work
How to keep showing up to the page anyway
About the Book
Gap Year
Jane’s life is turned upside down within forty-eight hours: her only child leaves for a year abroad, her husband abandons her for another woman, and her boss issues her an ultimatum. She makes a bold, impulsive choice—she’s leaving it all behind for an adult version of her daughter’s “gap year.”
Once a hopeful young ecologist, Jane dreams of climbing a volcano and working in the Galapagos—but life got in the way. Now, nothing stands between her and the adventure she abandoned years ago.
Sleeping in a hostel bunk bed surrounded by people at least twenty years younger, she befriends Laura, a fellow traveler determined to scale the volcano. Together, they doggedly train for the summit. Jane also meets Mark, a charming tour guide whose quick wit and sparkling eyes threaten to derail her identity quest.
As Jane pushes her physical and emotional limits, she seeks answers to the burning question: “What the hell should I do with the rest of my life?”
