Wanna Slay Some Demons?
Y’know when people dream of being a writer they don’t really think about the scary things that can come with putting yourself out there creatively.
All those fears and mental hijinks that haunt us, dogging our productivity and thwarting our writing dream. So how about some tips on wrestling these pesky demons to the ground?
I bet you're familiar with at least one of these lurking horrors – fear or rejection, fear of criticism, fear of failure, fear that you're no good - and fear that you’d never have another good idea. (Digging down deeper there might even be fear of success swirling around in there somewhere.)
And all these demons have a habit of turning up as your inner critic, repeated negative thinking and inaction.
Lordy - who in their right mind would sign up for this malarkey?
Want to be a more productive writer? Dive into our new book! Check it out here.
Good news is that these anxieties are standard, just part and parcel of creative life – because as writers we’re both sensitive and constantly seeking external validation. And in reality we have zero control over what people say, do or think.
But something we do have control over is how we deal with these horrors.
And if we don’t get a handle on them we can get stuck in them – which leads to paralysis, frustration – and, gulp, blank pages.
You might also know this state as procrastination, delivering before it’s ready, making excuses to never start or never finish.
Fear is SO sneaky! It dresses itself up as all manner of logical opinions and “facts” that are just plain wrong. It’s also pretty nifty as a protection mechanism – if you never put yourself out there – you never get hurt/rejected/disappointed, right?
Problem is you also never get your work published or produced or red.
So let's slay some demons.
Here’s a question for you… if you’re really honest, what is your biggest fear when it comes to your writing?
Write it down on a piece of paper and look at it.
Now that it’s on the page – take a good, hard look at it and ask yourself this – is it a rational fear? Is the horror scenario you’re imagining likely?
Do you have any tangible proof that backs up this fear?
Then ask yourself this – what’s the worst thing that could happen if your worst fear was realised?
The answer may surprise you.
Then consider whether or not that worst thing would actually destroy you.
I'm guessing probably not.
Now go burn that piece of paper. Burn it with fire. You just don't need it.
And finally - a few more fear busting thoughts...
Everybody experiences fear of judgement. Everybody.
Whatever it is, your biggest fear might not actually happen.
Examine your fear with curiosity – as in - that’s interesting that I feel that way…I wonder why.
Every time you start to write you’re heading into the unknown – and we’re wired to be wary of the unknown.
Free writing about your anxieties and imagined worst case scenarios will help diminish them.
No, seriously, go burn that piece of paper.