by Harmony Stalter
Fear and doubt is one of the biggest problems anyone has to face, especially a writer. We will doubt our abilities to write a novel. We doubt our novels will ever sell. We doubt any of our books will ever become a best seller. This doubt soon turns into questions, which then leads us into fear.
What if I do not have the skills to write a full length novel? What if no one wants to read what I wrote? What if I begin a story and never finish it? What if I am not good enough? What will happen if I cannot find a publisher? What will happen if I suddenly get writer’s block? Doubt and fear can keep you from achieving your dreams of becoming a writer. We have all been there. We have questioned our own abilities long before we began, but we overcame them. You can, too.
The first thing you need to do is to admit to having these fears and doubts. The only way to overcome them is to acknowledge they are there. Write down how your fears and doubts are hindering you from becoming a writer. Doing so will show you how you perceive the gravity of the situation. After you have acknowledged the fear and doubt, you can now find ways of coping with them. Take the time to imagine the worst case scenario of becoming a writer. For instance, you may feel that never selling a single copy of your book is the worst thing that can happen. To make sure that you sell some copies, be sure to write down ways you can market your book. For instance, setting up a blog tour to help get your book out to a wide audience, and using social media to promote your book will help get the word out about the release. Having a support group of friends and family that believe in you will help to eliminate your doubt and fears. Their support and encouragement will help to break up the fear and doubt, allowing you time to compose your book with confidence. Learning to take a negative comment about your writing as constructive criticism will help keep the fear and doubt away. When there is a negative comment made about the book, then look at it as a way to improve your skill. Try to satisfy that reader with a different approach to how you write your next book.
You must let go of anything anyone has ever said to make you feel like you were a failure. Create a list of goals to meet. Take the necessary action to achieve one a day. For instance, if you are going to write a novel, then you can begin your list with creating your characters first. When you are ready to sit down and begin, write down traits of each character and what you want them to look like. These may change as the story develops, but you will have completed your first goal. Completing a goal a day with help you overcome your fears and doubts.
As a writer, I have been down this road. I had all of these fears and doubts. When I began my writing career, I started slow. I only wrote articles on my local bands. When the praise from these bands came in, then I started to venture out to write about more subjects. I have written articles on a variety of topics and completed five books. I have ghostwritten many books and edited books that have gone on to be published. Do I still have some fears and doubts? Yes, of course, I do. But, with my support system firmly in tact, I am able to move past them. As a writer, there is always fear and doubt in the back of your mind, but you can achieve the success you want with a little hard work and determination.
Fear and doubt is one of the biggest problems anyone has to face, especially a writer. We will doubt our abilities to write a novel. We doubt our novels will ever sell. We doubt any of our books will ever become a best seller. This doubt soon turns into questions, which then leads us into fear.
What if I do not have the skills to write a full length novel? What if no one wants to read what I wrote? What if I begin a story and never finish it? What if I am not good enough? What will happen if I cannot find a publisher? What will happen if I suddenly get writer’s block? Doubt and fear can keep you from achieving your dreams of becoming a writer. We have all been there. We have questioned our own abilities long before we began, but we overcame them. You can, too.
The first thing you need to do is to admit to having these fears and doubts. The only way to overcome them is to acknowledge they are there. Write down how your fears and doubts are hindering you from becoming a writer. Doing so will show you how you perceive the gravity of the situation. After you have acknowledged the fear and doubt, you can now find ways of coping with them. Take the time to imagine the worst case scenario of becoming a writer. For instance, you may feel that never selling a single copy of your book is the worst thing that can happen. To make sure that you sell some copies, be sure to write down ways you can market your book. For instance, setting up a blog tour to help get your book out to a wide audience, and using social media to promote your book will help get the word out about the release. Having a support group of friends and family that believe in you will help to eliminate your doubt and fears. Their support and encouragement will help to break up the fear and doubt, allowing you time to compose your book with confidence. Learning to take a negative comment about your writing as constructive criticism will help keep the fear and doubt away. When there is a negative comment made about the book, then look at it as a way to improve your skill. Try to satisfy that reader with a different approach to how you write your next book.
You must let go of anything anyone has ever said to make you feel like you were a failure. Create a list of goals to meet. Take the necessary action to achieve one a day. For instance, if you are going to write a novel, then you can begin your list with creating your characters first. When you are ready to sit down and begin, write down traits of each character and what you want them to look like. These may change as the story develops, but you will have completed your first goal. Completing a goal a day with help you overcome your fears and doubts.
As a writer, I have been down this road. I had all of these fears and doubts. When I began my writing career, I started slow. I only wrote articles on my local bands. When the praise from these bands came in, then I started to venture out to write about more subjects. I have written articles on a variety of topics and completed five books. I have ghostwritten many books and edited books that have gone on to be published. Do I still have some fears and doubts? Yes, of course, I do. But, with my support system firmly in tact, I am able to move past them. As a writer, there is always fear and doubt in the back of your mind, but you can achieve the success you want with a little hard work and determination.
Harmony is the author of Two Romantic, Two Suspenseful, find out more below:
Two Romantic, Two Suspenseful has four very different short stories.
The Former Student- A shy girl returns to her school to see the teacher she has always had a crush on still there. When fantasy becomes a reality for them both, the teacher becomes the student.
The Stolen Child – A mother chooses to ignore the warning given to her by a strange and mysterious woman. When her child is taken, it becomes a race against time to rescue the child alive.
My Death- A woman chooses to put her career first, but at what consequence. Witness the accounts of a break up gone terribly wrong.
Dancing the Night Away - Two people, who have been hurt countless times, finally find love in the unlikeliest of places.
The Former Student- A shy girl returns to her school to see the teacher she has always had a crush on still there. When fantasy becomes a reality for them both, the teacher becomes the student.
The Stolen Child – A mother chooses to ignore the warning given to her by a strange and mysterious woman. When her child is taken, it becomes a race against time to rescue the child alive.
My Death- A woman chooses to put her career first, but at what consequence. Witness the accounts of a break up gone terribly wrong.
Dancing the Night Away - Two people, who have been hurt countless times, finally find love in the unlikeliest of places.
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