Either you don’t realize it, or somewhere deep down, you know it but simply refuse to admit it: the underlying reason behind all of your excuses for not having begun writing your book yet is that four-letter word called “fear.” Read on to understand how fear has stifled your dreams of becoming an author and what to do to give fear the boot this year!
Fear: The REAL Reason You Haven’t Begun Writing Your Book Yet
You know that book that you keep saying you’re going to write? That book that has been one of your New Year’s resolutions for the past six, seven… or 12 years? That book that you think about, dream about, talk about, and are always “about to write”? Well, there’s a big “why” behind the reason that you haven’t written it yet.
If someone were to shine a spotlight on you and ask you why you haven’t written your book yet, I’m sure you could use the greater part of two hours discussing all of your reasons (I call them what they really are: “excuses”) why your book hasn’t come to fruition. However, if we were to list all of these on the back of a napkin and map out their essence of each one, I think you’d find that they all have the same common denominator: fear.
Here are the things that people who have not written the book in their heart secretly fear, whether they realize it and are willing to admit it or not:
Fear 1: People will say that I’m not a good writer.
I know, I know. In your mind, you’re the next Ernest Hemingway. If you don’t think you’re Hemingway, you think that – at the very least – you can do just as well as some of the authors who have written some of the latest books you’ve read. However, these are just the perceptions that exist in your own mind. What will others think?
First of all, for years, you’ve been telling people that you’re a good writer. Now, it’s time for the rubber to meet the road. You’re about to put your money where your mouth is and put yourself out there. When you do, will people read your work and say, “She’s so full of it!” or “He acts like he’s so smart, but his book sucks!” or “He thinks he’s such a good writer, but this book is terrible”?
Once you put your writing out there, it’s out there for the whole world to see. In today’s world, people with hidden identities write reviews from behind the cover of a computer screen don’t hold back. They feel free to shred you to pieces if they don’t like your work. They don’t think twice about giving you a one-star rating and sharing you their opinion – whether good, bad or ugly – and humiliating you in the process.
Consequently, even though you know you have a good book in you, there’s a part of you that’s really scared that you won’t be able to tell it in such a way that brings praise rather than criticism. Can you and your esteem handle it? You’re not sure, and this scares you. Before you can move ahead with completing the writing project on your plate, this is a fear that you will have to confront. Achieving your dream of becoming an author depends on it!
(Interested in reading more? Check out the next post in this blog series!)
—
Need help bringing that writing project to completion? Geniuscribes can help! We specialize in 23rd hour timelines, resurrecting dead books and research, and renewing your hopes of getting your dream book or dissertation done. Let’s work together and get you done, already! Visit geniuscribes.com to get started.
Shannon Williams, Ph.D., is the Founder and Chief Executive Nerd of Geniuscribes, Nerds with Pens. For more than a decade, she has helped doctoral students complete their dissertations and aspiring writers complete their books. She is a nerdy, fun-loving, dog-obsessed foodie who loves Jesus, unpretentious people, sunshine, and coffee. She is a die-hard Houstonian and Texas Longhorn living in Atlanta, where Chick-Fil-A sells collard greens and macaroni, and the tea is as sweet as the people, much to her delight. You can reach her through her team at support@geniuscribes.com if you like. Or not. Whatever butters your biscuit! Oh yeah… she loves those, too.