As authors we all strive to achieve our goals, but one of the big obstacles I’ve encountered is what I’d call “writer’s fright.” It’s a fear of new ventures. What are the symptoms? It’s not only clammy fingers when you’re typing, but you’re plagued with a mind full of doubts. Can I do this? What happens if I fail? Am I better off not to try at all? Those doubting thoughts are often swirling in my head. In order to overcome these fears, we need a strategy. Here are some remedies to help if you have the same problem:
• Think about the worst that can happen-When I was growing up, if I was afraid to try something, my dad would always say,” What’s the worst that can happen? Maybe that would apply when he was teaching me to jump horses. We decided the worst thing was I could fall off, but I’d just get back on and try again. The same would apply if you got a rejection letter for an article you thought was your best ever. You could try to improve it, and resubmit it at a later date. You just try again and eventually, you’ll have a better result.
• Identify the problem: Let’s say your article was rejected by an editor but the reason was that they only accept articles that are 500 words or less, but yours in 850 words. Revise it. Figure out what scenes are really important, and which are not. Maybe you have too much dialogue that doesn’t really move the story along. Or maybe you have one character who doesn’t have an important job in your story. Perhaps the magazine has recently published an article on the same subject. In that case you can ask how long you’d need to wait to resubmit it.
• Experience and confidence will carry you forward: Once you begin solving these little roadblocks, you’ll have the confidence you nee d to overcome them. You’d be surprised what can be done if you try. How do I know? Well, for example, I was completely petrified when renowned author, Claire Power Murphy, asked me to be interviewed on her radio show, “Improve Every Year.” As a shy person, all I could think of was making a mistake and saying something dopey. But Claire carefully explained what to expect and helped me feel confident. I’ve done four interviews with her on womensradio.com and we received top billing for the last one, “Building Character Through Children’s Stories. It’s just proof that anything can happen if you persevere.
