Turn Your Fear into Action
“Don’t let your fears stop you. Let your fears inspire you to do great things.” — Azul Terronez
There are many fears that we face as creators. Steven Pressfield calls these fears “resistance.” Although unpleasant, I don’t believe we should eliminate fear altogether. In fact, I think in some cases we can reframe them and turn them into motivation and inspiration.
On this week’s episode of “Authors Who Lead,” I will talk about the seven types of fears we face as writers and how to overcome them.
Fear One: Criticism
This fear can cause us to not share our creations with others. We’re afraid of what they might say or think. In order to work through this fear of criticism we need to start thinking objectively about our work like it’s just something that’s just coming out onto the page. And yes, there are benefits to criticism that you can embrace in order to become a better writer.
Fear Two: The Blank Page
The fear of the blank page can happen to writers at any stage of their career. Wondering what to write next brings out so many fears that we end up just staring at the blank screen. In order to work through this it’s important to get all those fears and non-helpful thoughts out of your head. Journal your thoughts and get them all out. Then, you can focus on what you really should be writing about.
Fear Three: Not Being Good Enough
This fear is similar to the fear of criticism because we judge ourselves by our favorite authors. We need to remind ourselves that writing is a process, and improvement comes with practice.
Fear Four: Rejection
Rejection is a fear we need to get used to as writers. We don’t sit down at the computer the first time and write the perfect novel. All of our favorite writers started writing crappy drafts, but they got better as they journeyed forward with their craft. Don’t try to chase away rejection, just realize that it’s part of being a writer and that you’re not bad or not a good writer. You just need to keep writing.
Fear Five: Running Out of Ideas
Sometimes we may fear that we will run out of ideas to write about. Even Steven King had this fear. In order to work through this fear we need to just keep writing and stay curious. Keep a journal of prompts, wonders, and ideas that just may spark your next book.
Fear Six: Losing the Creative Spark
Curiosity is also the key to battling the fear of losing your creative spark. When we stay curious and are always in a mindset to learn new things, experience new events or cultures, or read new genres, we will always have ideas sparking in our imaginations to write about.
Fear Seven: Failure
This fear can be one of the most debilitating for authors. The fear of failure can prevent us from reaching our potential. I advise authors in order to avoid this, they should set small, achievable goals for themselves. Break each step or goal into smaller achievements so that they don’t feel so overwhelmed. Then celebrate each and every achievement!
In this podcast, I also share:
- Why you should set realistic writing goals
- Creativity has momentum, so we need to keep the process flowing
- Why you need trusted peers to critique your work
- How writer’s workshops and critique groups can help you learn to embrace criticism
- How a community of writers can help you work through these fears
I’m so grateful that you listened to this podcast. I appreciate anybody who leaves a review, it really helps inspire us to keep contributing and giving content here.
What was your biggest takeaway from this episode? Are you working on writing a book? In the comments, share your biggest fears of writing.
That’s all for this week. If you have a message inside you that needs to be written, know that you can write and publish the book that’s been on your heart. Don’t delay – get out of your head, put words on the page today, and make a movement with your message!
Episode Resource:
Membership Community
TEDX
Press Publish
Authors Who Lead
Fiction Group
Publishing: Mandala Tree Press
Listen on:
