I have had some success with academic writing. Yet, even after publishing in journals like the Teachers College Record, I still find myself running into moments of doubt about my voice, the purpose of my writing, and how to make my work have the impact it deserves. I offer this commentary to you - the academic writer (at any career stage) - and myself to reveal some of my vulnerable, innermost reflections about writing. In doing so I hope to demystify academic writing, or at least normalize the journey required for some (like me) to gain confidence in its praxis.