Have you ever doubted your skill, your talent, your ability to write great stories? Self-doubt is a normal (if frustrating!) part of the writing process. If you focus on that doubt, you’ll become too discouraged to create—so bestselling author Rea Frey found a bold way to overcome doubt and write.

In this episode of Character Test, I talk with Rea about her own insecurities and how she pushed through them to actually finish her first novel in less than a month.

Rea Frey is the author of the suspense novels Not Her Daughter and Because You’re Mine. She’s incredibly resilient: she struck back at the guy who assaulted her, and the punch she threw knocked him to the ground and started her amateur boxing career.

Later, she quit her job and set herself a deadline to write a book, which she knew would be optioned to become a movie. She finished the book in half the time she’d set herself, and it was published and optioned.

Listen to our conversation on the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, SimpleCast, or here below:

What does it really take to overcome your doubts and create? In this episode, we talk about Rea’s highest highs and lowest lows, including:

• How Rea gets into the head and mindset of so many characters unlike herself.
• What she learned from death row inmates.
• How she healed from the trauma of sexual assault.
• Why she quit her job and wrote a book in just four weeks!
• The practical strategies she used to overcome her self-doubt—and become a bestselling author.
• Why she finds more joy in the writing process than in the successful finished books.

You can find Rea Frey's books here. You can also her on her website, on Facebook, and on Twitter (@reafrey_author).