Fear is probably the #1 factor preventing writers from seeing success in their careers. I’ve had many writers tell me they’re afraid of failing, afraid of rejection, afraid of bad reviews, afraid people will laugh at them, afraid readers will hate their book, afraid people will judge them or tell them they are selfishly wasting their time writing when they could be doing something more productive or meaningful.
There are probably more reasons to be afraid than there are to keep writing.
Let’s face it. Every single writer has and will have negative responses from their writing. There will always be people that dislike, maybe even hate, your work. That’s life. The sooner you can accept and expect it, the easier it will be to knock over your fear.
One of the toughest and most important attitudes writers need to master is summed up in the famous words of Franklin Roosevelt: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Words have power. They evoke emotion—even boredom. While some will criticize you for what you write—or for just writing instead of doing something else—others will be inspired, uplifted, and entertained by your work, your themes, and your messages.
So long as you seriously study the craft of writing, apply what you learn and put in the hours of practice … so long as you are teachable and listen to constructive criticism and work to improve your weak areas … so long as you put in the dedication to write your best book, you will see a measure of success. You will get to that finish line of publishing the book of your dreams. Continue Reading…
