You find success when you stop fearing failure
A famous quote asks the question
“What would you do if you knew you could not fail?”
For so many authors it seems the expectation of failure stifles many stories before they’re even begun. Fear manifests in a few different ways in the life of writers and recognizing the subtle fear, and then pushing past it, not only gives increased satisfaction but a sense of accomplishment that can make the next manifestation that much easier to conquer.
Procrastination and busy work
While these seem to be opposites procrastination and busy work are many times two facets of the same attitude. Procrastination is putting things off to the last minute. The danger in this is that it keeps you from establishing consistent and persistent writing. It also limits your opportunities by bunching up all of your writing to the end of the projects time period. This means if other opportunities present themselves in the weeks leading up to a project’s due date you will have to let them pass you by because every moment is spent getting the other thing done.
The busywork is usually done with people who are paid for a series of smaller projects. What happens here is you do the projects slowly, allow yourself to follow a series of rabbit trails and other distractions during the course of this project. This is fear because it shows you are not confident that there will be another project when this is done. The feeling of “importance” that comes with a full schedule is artificially prolonged by finding many things to do on your business that don’t really build your business.
The best way to combat these sources of fear is to have a set time for writing each day. Write during that time whether it is on a paid project or something for yourself. Once you develop the habit of simply writing your word count will build and help push out the idea of fear. Writing becomes about WRITING again. You will look forward to completing a project so you can move to the next one. You will find your writing time become more productive and the success will follow.
Writer’s Block
This is a subconscious version of fear and is manifested in an inability to string together a single coherent sentence. Every writer has suffered from this at one point or another. The best way to deal with this is to spend some time daydreaming before you sit down to write. Imagine all the “what ifs” and “I wonders” while sweeping your kitchen or getting the kids ready for school. Then sit down and let your thoughts wander. Once you start to see things do some free writing, editing or other writing until your characters begin to chatter in your ear.
Not submitting
This topic heading is as simple as the solution: mail it in.
You cannot go anywhere if you don’t submit, get rejected and submit again. It is a part of the writer’s journey just as surely as conditioning is part of an athlete’s journey. In gymnastics I hated the twenty to thirty minutes of push ups, v-ups, tick-tocks and other strength training. I wanted to tumble on the floor or swing on the bars. However, it was the conditioning that gave me the muscles that allowed me to do increasingly difficult tricks on both apparatuses. Rejection is the conditioning of a writer. There is no avoiding it, so get it out of the way by doing it now.
Recognizing your own unique “fear manifestation” is crucial to becoming a successful writer. There is rejection on every level of success however, pushing against the resistance of each stage of the writer’s journey leads to the kinds of victories that cause readers to relate and editors to become interested. You will be defined by the problem you solve and the challenge you overcome.
How are you currently defining yourself? Consider that.
How have you overcome your own fear? Share that with us in the comment section below.
This is part 6 of a seven part series on getting readers to pick you and your writing. If you missed the previous posts, or would like to read them again, you can by following the links below:
Getting readers to pick you
How readers decide
Presenting yourself well
Getting noticed by readers
Going on the hunt
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