The Terror of Writing

Have you ever felt like your story ambushed you?
Out of nowhere, writer’s block reared its giant head, procrastination kicked in for weeks, or you came up with an exciting new story you needed to write immediately.

Friend, I’m sorry to tell you, but that thing that ambushed you? It’s probably fear.

Sometimes, our stories invite us to go places we’ve never been inside ourselves. They invite us to dig beneath our surface to find the bloody truth.

Writing impactful fiction requires telling the truth, telling your truth, and that is one of the most frightening things you can do.

When you write the truth, it’s out there for all to see—parents and exes and coworkers and, yes, yourself. You could be rejected, judged, and hurt even more.

It’s easy to walk away from truth’s invitation. Sometimes, I do walk away. It’s just too damn scary. But I know I don’t want to write safe, I want to write true. If I want to find healing and freedom through my writing, I cannot write safe. If I want my readers to find greater empathy for themselves and others, I must tell the truth.

This kind of writing often leaves you exhausted, raw, and vulnerable.

So I want you to know that if you’re pulling back from your writing because you’re afraid, it doesn’t mean you’re weak or on the wrong path, it means you’re on the way to a story that matters.

Is your novel asking you to tell the truth?

Here are five steps to help when you feel afraid in your story:

1. Acknowledge that you’re scared. Once you’ve named the fear, you can decide what to do with it.

2. Determine whether your story needs the thing that’s scaring you. Is that truth necessary to impact your readers in the way you want?

3. Decide if writing the scary thing will be harmful to you. If you’re not ready, don’t do it. You don’t owe anyone your pain.

4. Write as if no one will read it. Give yourself permission to tell the full truth before you decide what to do with it. No one ever has to read those words.

5. Recover. Writing the truth is an emotional feat, so take the time to feel, rest, and recover.

Have you encountered fear in your writing? How did you handle it?

If you’re feeling afraid in your writing, I’ve built a community specifically for you. It’s called the Rooted Writers Mentorship and it’s rad.