It"s Only a Little Thing Called Fear
Fear stops us cold.
We feel the merest hint of fear, and we run screaming from whatever it was we wanted to do.
For writers, fear can keep us from the page.
Fear is so sneaky that it often masquerades as something else-procrastination is one of its favorite disguises, for instance.
But what if, instead of recoiling every time we felt fear, we dealt with it? Wouldn't life be a bit brighter? Wouldn't you have more confidence? Wouldn't your writing improve? So herewith are my seven ways to deal with your fears.
Face it.
Look fear in the eye and decide you are going to do what you are afraid of anyway.
Walk right into it.
Walk through it.
This is the most exhilarating way to deal with fear-and probably the hardest.
I find I can do this once in awhile, but not always.
Sidestep it.
If facing fear is not always an option, then sidestep it.
Ease your overactive mind by talking to it.
Tell yourself that it is only fear, and that you can just move sideways around it.
Surprisingly, talking yourself around it is very effective.
Write About it.
Writing is my solution for everything.
It is amazing how writing about something clarifies it in my mind.
Writing about fear gives it a form, and that is half the battle.
Once I see the form that fear takes, it is less daunting.
Dialogue With it.
Take writing one step further and engage in a dialogue with it.
Ask your fear questions.
What does it have to show you? What is it trying to protect you from? Why does it pop up now? Give Fear a Shape.
Make your fear into a character.
Give it a name and a persona.
Then you can talk to it personally.
You'd be surprised what a difference this makes.
We humans love to anthropomorphize, it makes us feel better.
So try it with fear.
Dance With It.
Celebrate fear.
Love it, cherish it.
Remember all the times it has kept you safe and here on this planet.
And then thank it and tell fear when it is appropriate to rear its head.
Banish It.
Tell it to go away, that you don't need it anymore-at least for your writing.
Tell it that it can protect you to its heart's desire when you are about to jump out of an airplane or swim across the English channel or audition for American Idol.
But when you sit down at the page, you no longer need it.
I hope that some of these techniques work to help you deal with your fears.
We feel the merest hint of fear, and we run screaming from whatever it was we wanted to do.
For writers, fear can keep us from the page.
Fear is so sneaky that it often masquerades as something else-procrastination is one of its favorite disguises, for instance.
But what if, instead of recoiling every time we felt fear, we dealt with it? Wouldn't life be a bit brighter? Wouldn't you have more confidence? Wouldn't your writing improve? So herewith are my seven ways to deal with your fears.
Face it.
Look fear in the eye and decide you are going to do what you are afraid of anyway.
Walk right into it.
Walk through it.
This is the most exhilarating way to deal with fear-and probably the hardest.
I find I can do this once in awhile, but not always.
Sidestep it.
If facing fear is not always an option, then sidestep it.
Ease your overactive mind by talking to it.
Tell yourself that it is only fear, and that you can just move sideways around it.
Surprisingly, talking yourself around it is very effective.
Write About it.
Writing is my solution for everything.
It is amazing how writing about something clarifies it in my mind.
Writing about fear gives it a form, and that is half the battle.
Once I see the form that fear takes, it is less daunting.
Dialogue With it.
Take writing one step further and engage in a dialogue with it.
Ask your fear questions.
What does it have to show you? What is it trying to protect you from? Why does it pop up now? Give Fear a Shape.
Make your fear into a character.
Give it a name and a persona.
Then you can talk to it personally.
You'd be surprised what a difference this makes.
We humans love to anthropomorphize, it makes us feel better.
So try it with fear.
Dance With It.
Celebrate fear.
Love it, cherish it.
Remember all the times it has kept you safe and here on this planet.
And then thank it and tell fear when it is appropriate to rear its head.
Banish It.
Tell it to go away, that you don't need it anymore-at least for your writing.
Tell it that it can protect you to its heart's desire when you are about to jump out of an airplane or swim across the English channel or audition for American Idol.
But when you sit down at the page, you no longer need it.
I hope that some of these techniques work to help you deal with your fears.
