What’s one thing that scares you the most as a writer?
This is a question I’ve been asking myself a lot recently. Especially since we’ve just entered a new year and a new decade. When I look back to 2010, I was so sure that I was ready to break out on the world stage. I’d already been writing for several years and had a couple of writing conferences under my belt.
But at the same time, I was terrified that the one story I’d been working on was the only story I’d ever be able to write. So I worked on it, and I worked on it, and I worked on it some more.
What I didn’t realize was that, by holding onto that story so tightly, I was hampering myself overall as a writer. I wasn’t exploring new ways of looking at the world, or trying out new writing techniques. I was stagnant, and as a result, my creativity continued to wither to the point I couldn’t even pick up a pen and feel even a sliver of excitement.
So I put the pen away and closed off the part of me that made me, me.
It’s funny how something that starts out as a small fear can grow into full-on paralyzing terror when we allow those nagging little thoughts to take hold in our mind. It’s no wonder that the Lord repeatedly reminds us to have courage and not to be afraid. He knows that if there’s anything that will keep us from becoming who we are designed to be, it’s fear.
Is there a fear holding you back professionally, physically, or psychologically? What’s one thing you can do today to take a step toward it and so that you can eventually move past it?
If it’s not something that you can face on your own, find someone who you can trust to stand beside you. That’s what a community is for—to support, encourage, and build each other up. (Don’t have a local writing community? Head over to The Writer’s Wellspring Facebook Page and let’s connect!)
Here’s to taking that first step and leaving that ugly fear behind us in 2020!
