…fear.
Over the years, I’ve talked to many people to hear their stories and find out what makes them tick. The people closest to me know that, in many ways, I’m the type of writer that studies human nature. The one thing that most writers have in common is this: fear.
“I’m not good enough to submit my story to a magazine.”
“Even though I tell people I’m working on a novel, I’m going to talk about writing or grab all the writing advice that’s out there. Maybe then it’ll put my fears to rest.”
“I can’t say what I think because I’m afraid my readers will come after me.”
“I will defend my work to a bad reviewer because deep down inside, I’m worried that they’re right.”
“I’m going to stop writing until I hear back from this agent.”
“I will whine to a proofreader for editing my work because I’m worried they’ll think I’m a crappy writer.”
“I’m afraid that people won’t like my work.”
“I just submitted a novel and I’m going to wait to hear what people think before I write anything else.”
“I can’t write unless I have the right software.”
“I won’t edit because I don’t know how and I’m afraid to admit it.”
“I’m going to communicate poorly with an editor because I don’t trust them to improve my writing.”
“I’m worried that my stories won’t be as good as my favorite author’s.”
“I’m going to keep submitting my novel to an agent even though I’ve gotten the same feedback from multiple people because I’ve convinced myself that they’re wrong. I’m scared that they’re right.”
“I’m scared that my story won’t be unique enough. So, what’s the point of writing it?”
“I feel like if my story gets rejected, it’s an editor’s way of saying that I’m not good enough as a person.”
“I have an author that feels like he needs to compete with whatever I’m doing. He’s intimidating me.”
“I’m going to keep editing my short story/novel/novella because I’m afraid that even after the twentieth pass, it’s still not good enough.
“I’m concerned that if I write a bad story, it means that I’m a terrible writer.”
“I’m afraid of being successful and don’t know how to deal with people.”
There are hundreds of ways that fear manifests in a writer’s life. Hundreds. Some of us might stop writing altogether. Others might hang out at conventions with authors or get caught up in reviewing books. Being around other writers doesn’t help you write.
So, what does?
Well, that’s different for everyone. Me? I have quite a few things that I do to keep me motivated and help me focus on my writing. I use a timer. I set goals. I visualize. I do something bold. I paint. I write poetry. I review old stories and commit them to my morgue.
The one thing, though, that I never want to do — ever again — is stop writing. I did, because I threw everything into a full-time career and it didn’t pan out. Yes, writing fiction that may or may not pay is something that all writers have to balance with their paying gigs, but really? Really? I know several successful authors that deal with a lot more than I do. Five kids. Cancer. Bankruptcy. Unemployment. Rabid fans. And that’s just to name a few.
In the end, while our fear may manifest in different ways, the only way to move past it is to get your butt back in that chair and keep writing.
So stop being a chicken. Seriously. Be bold. Be Brave. Just write. Write, submit, edit and then do it all over again. What? You want to be a writer, don’t you?
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