For a few weeks now I’ve been writing away on my WIP, just cranking it out like it was my job or something. Then all of a sudden, I got spooked.
It all started when I reached this one critical chapter, and I’ve been scared stiff ever since. I know exactly what needs to happen in the chapter, I only have this chapter and a little piece of another left to go, and yet I’m terrified.
All these sneaky little doubts keep cluttering my mind. What if I write this chapter and it totally flops? What if I can’t pull it off? What if I only had a few good chapters in me and I used them all up already?
So I’ve been doing what I always do when I get scared: I’ve been reading a lot. It’s a way of getting all those scary thoughts out of my head and distracting myself. Kind of like the mental equivalent of leaving a nightlight on.
What about you? What do you do when your inner writer gets scared silly?
Call me Gabi (pronounced gah-BEE). I'm a writer, freelance teacher, and a lover of books and words. I'm also the instigator of DIY MFA. iggi's my sidekick, but he thinks he's the brains behind this operation.
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Comments on this post
I do anything but write – but mostly read. It DOES distract very nicely. Knitting can take my mind off of it, too.
25. October - 7:12 pmReading really is a good advice. Our WIPs can be just so scary somnetimes!
25. October - 7:16 pmI just keep writing. Or I get chocolate then write. Or I get wine then write. But the end of it alllllllll is I keep writing. I can't ignore it. I can fix it if it is not perfect, but I can't fix it if it isn't written.
25. October - 11:38 pmI say "Boo" to my reflection in the mirror and laugh at myself.
26. October - 1:38 amWhat I do now is completely different to what I used to do which I think is a step in the right direction. I acknowledge that it's the fear of failure talking. If I don't do it, If I don't try then I can't fail, I can't disappoint myself or anyone else. Then I remember that if I don't try then I can't succeed and taking that opportunity away from myself is much, much scarier.
31. October - 9:01 pmThese are great! I'll have to save them away and remember them for next time I need a boost.
1. November - 7:13 pm