Habits Aren't Always Bad
replace it with a habit."
~ Seth Godin
Scared to let someone critique your manuscript?
Don't give them the whole thing. Just a paragraph. Just one. After you live through that experience, move on to a page, then a chapter, and pretty soon handing over your book baby won't terrify the bejeebers out of you.
Afraid to pitch a manuscript to an agent or editor?
First practice pitching to your dog. Helpful hint: make him sit and stay first. A pocketful of cut up wieners helps, too. Then pitch it to a friend. You probably won't need as many wieners this go around and the sit/stay is a bad idea.
Terrified to type "The End?"
No, this isn't a stupid, made-up fear. I always get sweaty armpits ending a story (sorry for the visual) because I wonder if I tied up all the loose ends, or if my characters completed a satisfying arc, or if the plot is even feasible. The habit cure for this is to type The End at the end of every chapter, causing you to suffer through mini-sweat scares. It will also make you analyze each chapter so that by the time you really do type El Finito, there won't be any plot holes or wimpy characters.
The list of things writers fear is endless, really. The point here is to:
face the fear by beating it down to size through the action of taking baby steps toward it.
And here's a little bonus for you . . . this isn't only for writing related fears. This sage advice works for any anxieties in your life.
