Getting Over the Fear Hump

Post by Michelle Griep

I don’t believe in writer’s block. Oh put down your rotten tomatoes. I see them clutched in your hand and ready to wing at me along with your pointy, sharpened pitchfork. Let me finish.

What stops most writers isn't a writerly roadblock but a hump in the road. A fear hump. One which a writer worries might knock off his writerly muffler if he dares to gun his engine and zip over it. What the heck am I talking about? Here are some real-life scenarios:

Scenario #1:

You’re writing at a snail’s pace, laboring over each word, because you worry that if you tell instead of show, the universe might implode and it’d be your fault.

Scenario #2:

You never finish your story because you’re afraid that it just might be the worst piece of literary manure ever conceived. Public ridicule is a given if you dare to put this one out there for eyes to see.

Scenario #3:

You stare at a blank screen, wanting to begin a new, fantastic tale, but you're pretty sure it's already been written . . . and not by you. So what in the world do you have to offer readers that's fresh and exciting?

The Good News

Those fears are VERY real, so let me validate you as being completely normal. Sure, go ahead and quote me on that.

The Bad News

Those fears never go away, no matter how many books you've got on the shelf with your name on them. 

The Hopeful News

Fear keeps you from risking, but it's never too late to be a daredevil. Acknowledge your fear. Pat it on the head if you must, but then start typing out words and making progress on your story. No one said it had to be perfect. It just has to be.