Ban negative self-talk about your writing abilities. Instead, compile a list of your writing strengths, such as strong research skills or an aptitude for explaining information to others. Refer to this list when you feel anxious about a writing project and doubtful of your abilities.
Choose a writing partner to support and encourage your writing efforts. This should be someone you trust to provide honest, objective feedback on your ideas and writing, such as a friend, family member or professor. Another option is to join a writing group in which members critique each other's work.
Make sure you clearly understand the project. For an academic or professional writing assignment, read any instructions carefully and clarify items you do not understand with a professor, supervisor or writing tutor. For personal projects, establish a goal for yourself, such as writing a short story, creating a blog post on a specific topic or composing an email asking a crush out on a date.
Perform pre-writing exercises before beginning a writing project. Examples of pre-writing exercises include brainstorming ideas for the project and creating an outline to provide direction for your writing. Resources on brainstorming and creating outlines are available online.
Divide large writing projects into smaller sections and work on them one at a time. Give yourself a small reward for finishing each section, like reading a book, watching television or having dinner with a friend.
Resist the urge to edit your writing as you go along. This interrupts the flow of your thought, according to the University of Richmond's Writer's Web. Remind yourself that early drafts are not about perfection but about getting ideas down on paper.
Celebrate your writing successes to bolster your self-confidence. Successes can include receiving a good grade, positive feedback or simply completing project that was difficult for you. One way to celebrate is to keep a record of successes and how they were achieved in a journal or notebook.