Writing isn’t just about being able to put words together colorfully and come up with compelling plots. It also requires a certain amount of courage and bravery. Creating a book is a long and complicated process that is very difficult. For various reasons, but most often, it comes from fear. Read the article about what they are for writers and what to do about it.
Fear of rejection
Perhaps what aspiring writers fear most is being rejected. “What if I spend so much time and effort when I write my essay, invest so much of myself – and get a cold “No” in return?” It’s really scary. But you must realize that rejections are part of the writing profession, just like sleepless nights and blue screen light. It’s extremely difficult to find authors whose work is accepted on the first try. This is especially true of those who have become incredibly successful. They include Jack London, Joan Rowling, Wilbur Smith, and others.
What to do?
A successful warrior in battle turns his fear into anger, which helps him survive and win. On the other hand, you must turn your fear or resentment into a creative fervor and keep writing as furiously as you can.
Fear of Success
Surprisingly enough, this paradoxical fear is quite common. How can you fear something good that you dream about and live for? Nevertheless, the explanation is simple: success means a dramatic change in life. And this is what our brain fears because it is natural to seek stability and peace. In addition, some people with introverted disposition are simply afraid of fame and public life.
What to do?
Try it. Chances are, you’ll like it. In fact, the constant change in our lives is so guaranteed- let it be a book on top of the bestsellers. And if you don’t want to be in the public eye all the time, that’s up to you. You can write under a pseudonym and not go to presentations.
Fear of revealing too much personal information.
Voluntarily or involuntarily, all authors reveal themselves to some degree in their works. In addition, the real-life experiences described in a book make it more lively and generate more interest from readers. But some writers are afraid of being recognized, especially by people they know personally.
What to do?
In fact, if you don’t get too carried away and give your character a portrait and biographical resemblance to you, it’s unlikely anyone will guess anything. People aren’t that perceptive and can’t always make sense of themselves, much fewer others. Some authors find some therapeutic effect in their reflection on the pages of a book. By describing their fears, vices, and complexes, they sort of get rid of this mental burden. Try it – perhaps this is your case.
The fear of stopping at one book
Many people think that only the first book can be a masterpiece, and all subsequent ones will be much worse, or they can’t write them at all. This does happen when the first book is a success and publishers rush to create the next one. But if it does happen, you should worry about it after the first work has been written.
What to do?
Harper Lee wrote only one book, To Kill a Mockingbird, but it was an event. Does she regret what she did? We certainly can’t ask her that, but it’s very, very doubtful. In fact, most writers can create more than one or even ten works. Even when writing your first book, you’ll have a lot of ideas, characters, plot scenes, etc. Write them down – they will definitely come in handy in the future.
Fear of a lot of work
Even to write some unpretentious detective, you need to dig through a lot of information to make the work believable. If you take on a difficult topic, such as a historical or science fiction novel, or writing non-fiction, a huge part of the work will be finding the right information, reading, and consulting with experts. Many people fear getting bogged down in this maze and never achieving their intended goal.
What to do?
In fact, the more you learn about the right subject matter, the easier it will be for you to understand the structure of your future book and write it. Fortunately, the 21st century has made this task a lot easier. Access to any data is now much easier – thanks to the Internet, you will spend much less time searching. In addition, gathering information for your book gives you a unique opportunity to communicate with the best experts in your field – don’t let your fears pass you by.
Fear that it’s too late to start
It’s easy to start any career when you’re young, but with each passing year, it gets harder to make a difference. We’ve already mentioned the fear of big changes and the fear of taking up a pen at an older age is similar. But the problem is that such fears are not only found in people over 50 but in younger people as well.
What to do?
Let’s turn to history for examples. Quite a few authors started far beyond their youth and achieved success. Among them are Norman Lebrecht, Penelope Fitzgerald, and Mary Wesley. In addition, a load of years behind you indicates a lot of life experience, which is no small advantage for writing a captivating book. Take advantage of that, and share your knowledge with the world.
Summary
All fears can be turned to your advantage. Learn to transform emotions into creative energy and use writing as psychotherapy. Don’t think about what will happen after you write your book, but concentrate on creating it. Use modern technology to speed up your work. Turn to life’s experiences to create truly valuable work.
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