3 Tips on how to overcome fear when writing
If someone would I have told me a few years ago that a children’s picture book would be the first book that I would write I probably would have burst into laughter. Not because I didn’t think that I could actually complete it but because it would have been so far out of my own expectations I would have allowed fear to immediately shoot down the idea. Luckily I believed enough in myself to not only write but publish the book on my own. As humans we have a terrible habit of placing an imaginary box around our ideas thus limiting our immense potential. As writers our imagination is such a vital part of how we create stories we cannot allow fear to paralyze our thoughts. Below are some common obstacles and tips on how to overcome fear and hopefully allow your mind to be free.
1.) Make decisions based off of the good that may happen vs. the bad. “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” Translation - fear isn’t real. If you really analyze the emotion, fear is based off an act, thought, or idea in the future that hasn’t come into fruition yet. We often think of the worst things that may happen and make decisions accordingly. If you retrain your brain to think of all the good things that may came from acting on an idea you will have the luxury of confidence and positivity on your side which makes for a great recipe for writing a good story.
2.) Don’t be afraid to fail. In order to be successful there has to be some learning points along the way. We commonly misinterpret these points as something bad, giving them the stigma of being called failures. Many people are terrified of stepping outside of their current genre or writing style because they think that they may not be successful. The only way to truly find if your new path is actually going to work out is to go through with it. Even if you are not as successful as you may like, completing the book will give you priceless experiences, more insight and vital information that you can use on the next novel you write. Failure is all a part of success.
3.) Nothing risked = nothing gained. Book tours, print copies, editing, proofreading, illustrators, and many other book expenses can grow to be very expensive. An author can look at these expenses and quickly become discouraged. The fear of not knowing if you will recoup your expenses in future book sales can be enough to delay an author from making the decision to publish. At that point you have to switch from author mode to entrepreneur mode and know that with any new venture there are risks involved. If you are still a little unsure publish a short story before you invest money and time into a complete novel. That way you are able to gauge interest and test the market before making the final financial investment.
Although you may not be able to control when you experience fear you can control how you react to it. Conquering fear will open up many doors for you to be able to mature as a writer and push through every boundary placed in your path of writing success. Now what are you waiting for? Go and become writing daredevil. That is if you aren’t afraid…..
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