How writing helped me overcome imposter syndrome

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

I still suffer from a bit of impostor syndrome. It is one of those fears that keeps haunting me. I have found that to help me overcome the syndrome, I keep producing content, creating solutions, and solving problems.

I had wanted to write a book for almost ten years before my first book was published. I wanted to write a novel. I rewrote the opening scene a few times before I decided to stop. I did not think the book would do well, and I was unsure where the story would go. Instead, I kept writing blog posts on cybersecurity, short stories, and software development in the cloud.

After a few years, I realized I had been writing “books” for most of my career. I wrote books in the form of manuals, designs, and specifications for my employer. I already was an author. When I realized this, I submitted a proposal to a publisher and referenced my blog posts as supporting evidence. My proposal was accepted, and the Serverless Security book was published a year later.

I had imposter syndrome the entire time I was writing the book. The fear of being told, “Your book is garbage,” crippled me from writing for several months. I eventually put my fear past me, took a couple of weeks of vacation, and got busy writing. Fast forward a few years, I finished writing my second Mastering AWS Serverless the day after the 2024 New Year’s Day, and it is being published in the Spring of 2024.

This was an excerpt from my interview with Bold Journey Magazine.

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Miguel A. Calles · Serverless CISO
Miguel A. Calles · Serverless CISO

Written by Miguel A. Calles · Serverless CISO

Author of Mastering AWS Serverless · AWS Community Builder · Specializing in CMMC, SOC 2, serverless & engineering.