Is Fear Keeping You From Finishing Your Book? You're Not Alone...

If you’ve ever heard someone say, "I've always wanted to write a book," but then immediately follow it with, "But I could never..."? this blog is for you. Maybe that “someone” is you. And you know what? That is totally, completely normal. Starting something new can be overwhelming, especially when it’s something we haven’t done before.

You may be saying, “Sure, Jessica, easy for you to say. You’ve written forty-seven books.” To which I say, “Good point. BUT. I have no idea how to paint. As I am typing this, I have a pallets, brushes, acrylic paints, watercolor paints, gesso, and a variety of paper types. I have been accumulating these precious art supplies for the last oh, year or so. Just last week I started attempting to paint. Why did I wait so long? The same reason some people are afraid to write. I was worried I’d be terrible at it. Who has the time to waste? Who wants to create something that looks like crap? 💩

This is how limiting we are in our thinking. Our ego wants to protect us by saying “Don’t go there!” and “That’s not for you!” But as we prioritize staying in our lane we miss out on the beauty of sucking at the new stuff. Yes, I said beauty. It’s there. Underneath all those ugly layers of paint. Or perhaps on the top layer… (It’s too soon to tell. I’ll report back.)

Maybe you feel like I do about painting with your writing. Maybe you have an idea but haven’t written a single word, or maybe you've written yourself into a corner and have no idea what to do next. The fear, while surmountable, can feel like a mountain to climb. What if what you wrote isn’t good enough? What if you’re rejected? Judged? Once those fears take hold, then we procrastinate (hello, stack of 11” x 14” canvases in the corner of my office!)

But here’s the thing—we don’t have to let fear win.

Today I’m giving you five simple ways to kick fear in the arse, which will in turn make you feel like a badass. To write with confidence we have to gain a bit of it, and to gain it, we have to take action. But action doesn’t have to be writing thousands of words in one sitting or sharing our first three chapters with a critique partner. It can be the tiniest, itty-bittiest things that move us forward. My first acrylic painting is on a business-card sized canvas. Yep. I went all in on a 2” x 3”. And you know what? It’s not bad! I actually feel brave enough to try it again. Eventually I’ll get to those 11” x 14” canvases—mark my words!

Oh! And once you’ve zipped through reading this blog, take a minute to download the free worksheet I created for you. It’s called One Little Thing and will help you pinpoint several small ways (or you can pick just one!) to move forward with your writing. Starting small makes a huge difference. Trust me.

Okay, here we go:

5 Ways to Kick Fear’s Butt (for Writers)

1. Freewrite

Freewriting is like a braindump for your creativity. No rules, no judgment—just pure, unfiltered thoughts. Set a timer for 15 minutes, grab a pen, and go nuts. Nothing about what you write has to make sense. It doesn’t even have to flow well. It can be random, disjointed thoughts, like: “It’s so sunny today I should go outside to write this. I can’t believe how bored I am. I wonder how long fifteen minutes is, because this is taking forever.”

Whatever pops into your mind, go with it. You might even find that after a couple of uninspired sentences, you wax poetic about a rosebush and craft some of your best writing to date. This trick not only shuts up your inner editor, but also allows ideas to flow. No one ever has to read it, so go for it!

2. Set Tiny Goals

Big goals can feel like a scaling Mount Everest, which I hear involves a lot of fitness training, preparation for being cold, and a Sherpa to guide the way. Tiny goals feel more like stepping stones. In the case of writing, setting a timer for 10 minutes or making a goal to write your first 100 words. Each one of these wins builds momentum toward the bigger goal (in a writer’s case, a finished book), and before you know it the chapters begin stacking up.

3. Embrace the Sh*tty First Draft

I will forever love Anne Lamott for that phrase. Every writer—even published ones—starts with a rough draft, which is aptly named because it’s, well, rough. Your first draft isn’t supposed to be perfect. Its only goal is to exist. Once you have a shitty first draft, you have words to edit. Editing is where the magic happens! So give yourself permission to be messy, and commit to polishing it later.

4. Invest in Yourself

I have been investing in myself and my writing business for years now, but when I first started putting my money where my keyboard was, it was a bit frightening. What if it wasn’t worth it? What if I failed? I can tell you after literally tens of thousands of dollars (and hours!) invested in myself and my craft that it was not wasted. Even the graphic design degree I went to school for has been invaluable in my writing career. (Did you read the one about the nude figure drawing??)

Investing in yourself not only uncovers the skills you need to help you improve in your craft, but also helps you grow by leaps and bounds as a person. Fun fact: I used to be afraid to speak in front of a group of people. Now I can’t even relate to that person. That’s growth!

Investments can be taking a class (like my Write for Fun 101 course for beginners), or reading books on writing, or even exploring free resources, like this blog and accompanying worksheet. Each of these methods provides a different level of support for your writing, which helps you to gain insight, learn new skills and techniques, and boosts your confidence. Fear, begone!

5. Create a Writing Ritual

Before I painted my tiny painting, I set the scene. I gathered an old towel, my supplies, and lit a candle. I filled a mug with water and turned on some music. Each of these steps communicated to my brain that it was time to paint. Likewise, you must communicate to your brain that it is time to write. How? By creating your own ritual around your writing.

Find a time and place that meets your writing needs, whether it’s a posh coffee shop, the kitchen table, or the corner of your walk-in closet. Set a timeframe for each of your writing sessions—even if it’s just 15 minutes a day to start out. Then, set the scene. Light a candle, pour a cup of tea, turn on your favorite music. Each time you do this, you are saying to your inner Muse, “we’re writing today, baby!” Be consistent and watch this become habit.

Ready to Take the First Step?

Overcoming the fear of writing is like overcoming the fear of anything else. Making small progress grows your confidence and having confidence makes you feel good when you do it, so you do it more often. Sometimes all it takes is One Little Thing. That’s why I created a a PDF worksheet just for you! Allow it to gently guide you through the brambles of fear and doubt until you arrive at a lush, scenic clearing.

Maybe with a few hundred words written.

xo,
Jessica 🍋