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Are you thinking about things that affect your writing and fear is one of the words that call to mind? Here are some signs that your experience fear around writing.

Signs That You Experience Fear Around Writing

Everything that happens has literature revolving around it – your life, those of your friends, your daily activities, what goes on in your mind, the way you talk, and how you say the words,

everything, literally everything constitutes literature. In many schools, literature is taught to mirror life and society – this makes up what I am trying to denote here.

Just like there are problems and solutions to them in your everyday life (the world is about solving problems), there are hurdles in the way of your writing that need conquering. You

wouldn’t stop seeing movies because you dislike horror, would you? 

Life and literature are, therefore, not so different – there are hurdles in every writing journey. These hurdles can occur in your writing in various ways, but today I will be discussing the fear factor. There are signs that you are afraid of writing or that you find yourself feeling fear when you write.

Let’s see a few signs which say that you experience fear around writing.

No self-esteem

Inferiority complex has eaten up many talents in the past, and maybe still eating. Low self-esteem makes one dissolve his/her self-confidence and convince himself/herself that the project wouldn’t be good enough. Inferiority complex and doubt deteriorate or mar the outcome of your work. Until when would you continue discouraging yourself?

There’s a good way to fight this obstacle that is in your way; that can be by writing extensively and trying to publish. There’s this saying -“do what you fear most”; this is it – the situation

where you tackle your fears by facing them; do that one thing and watch it seep away.

Procrastination

When you procrastinate, then you are absolutely and unequivocally afraid of writing. If you’re out to achieve a bigger deal in your writing adventure, you probably need to “stop

starting tomorrow” and start immediately. Tomorrow is never going to halt. Time isn’t staying on your side forever; you must do it now.

In my previous article, I posited that the best way to fight procrastination is to put up a writing schedule and keep to it. You can choose a few hours into the evening or in the morning to write, a quiet place where you can escape, a library, or an office – your office designed by you for the sole purpose of writing.

You might schedule a time and still not keep to them, so why not start by reading other authors first? You can distinguish yourself and also find your muse while reading other authors.

 

Read also:

Common Roadblocks That Can Get in the Way of Your Writing

Analysis of Poem ‘Invictus’ by W.E. Henley

 

Indecisive on what to write about

I had three stories to write. Each has a different setting and storyline (plot), and I created the characters to put them to work with, but I didn’t start writing immediately – I didn’t know which to write first. Eventually, I started one that I am yet to finish soon. This scenario shows that I perfectly understand the problem of procrastination and how best to tackle them.

Another scenario might be that you want to write about nothing in particular – this happens to me a lot. I might want to start writing poetry and forget what to write – sometimes, it isn’t fear, it is writer’s block, and other times it wasn’t perfect timing for me.

The solution to this problem is not far-fetched – when you notice either of the examples, you need not beat yourself up for it. Leave the project for a while, seek advice from a friend or just talk to a friend about random things – the aim is to enlighten your mood. You can take a walk if you have the strength, it is good exercise. After your little break from trying to figure out what to do – get back to your work, take a pen or turn on your laptop and start to write.

This works almost every time for me – after a little trot or possibly a little distraction, my loads of worries evaporate, and then, I start typing my work – slowly and steadily until it

begins to take form. It goes on and on, and in the end, I accomplish my task.

I will be criticized

The question is, why won’t you be criticized? Another one is, who isn’t criticized? You’d need not fear critique; it is only the best form of correction you can receive from people. No one will sit down to teach you what to do about your work without a token or payment; critiques will do that for you freely.

Critique is part of the literature. It takes a good writer to make a good critique. As a budding writer, you mostly need coaching or mentoring from a professional willing to sail the tides with you freely.

When you finish your first and second drafts (I would say that because I draft my works twice before the final publishing), share them with a friend or mentor to help proofread and edit before publishing.

Distraction

Another factor that shows you’re afraid of writing is distraction. Sometimes when you are already writing, you feel a strong urge to do something else, maybe to call someone or look around the house, or surf the internet. All these are distractions, and it occurs when you’re anxious about writing.

It is okay to be anxious. It is also okay to be afraid of the result of your work and the impact it would have on your targeted audience, positive or negative – however, it is only best to show what you got.

Conclusion

You can challenge your fears by putting out what you created, take the critiques and make them your stepping stone, refine your work and redefine yourself.