When Fear Stops You in Your Writing Journey, How to Choose Joy

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Earlier in my career I found myself struggling with a project I was working. As I tried to figure out why, it dawned on me that I had let fear stop me in my tracks, instead of leaning into the joy of writing.

Some of the fears I battled included:

• Fear of failure.
• Fear of expectations.
• Fear of others and how I might be perceived.

No wonder I was having such a difficult time. The revelation stunned me. If there’s one thing I pride myself on (and that should have been my first clue I was about to fall flat on my face), it’s the thought that I’m not afraid of anything.

As I travel and speak to writers, that’s one of the first things I share with them. “You must approach this writing life with courage. Be brave and willing to try things that seem scary.”

Overcome the Fear Roadblock in Writing

1. I took it to God in prayer. His word is clear on the fact that we’re not supposed to fear. I acknowledged what I’d been doing and turned my fears over to Him.

2. I made a list of all the things I was afraid of. I didn’t just think about them in my mind. I put them on paper. Know what I discovered? Most of the things I was worried about looked pretty silly on paper. 

3. I looked at the things that weren’t silly and turned them upside down. For example: I was afraid someone I loved would misunderstand my motive. To turn it upside down I considered the possibility that someone God loved would see Him more clearly. Yes, what I was fearful about could happen, but so could the other things. After looking at things differently, I decided it was worth the risk.

Or, I found myself fearful of getting nothing but rejections. I knew at this point in my journey, a certain number of rejections were necessary to get the acceptances I wanted. So I began to make a monthly goal for rejections. I knew if I got 25 rejections (for articles/short pieces) I'd get at least 4 acceptances. This made me look forward to getting rejections out of the way. 

4. I gave myself permission to write where I was. I knew I needed to improve, but I also knew that part of the experience I needed would only come from submitting my work for possible publication. I chose to deny those voices in my head that warned of the bad things that could come. 

Those were the things I did to face my fears. But I also had to make progress on learning to choose joy

Choose the Joy of Writing

1. I began to find things to do that let me play with words. I love words. I love finding new ways to combine them, find words I never knew existed, and discover the origins of phrases. 

• To find new ways to combine words: I began looking at things commonly described and common metaphors and similes. I played with new ways to say common things. And I began a list of how I did it. 
• To find new words: I used my thesaurus and looked up words I commonly used and found new words. Then I let those words lead me to more new words. 
• To find origins of phrases: I used the Internet. I typed in a common phrase and read articles on how it originated. 

2. I tried new things. At that point in my career I was primarily a freelance writer. So instead of articles, I tried poetry and even short stories and flash fiction. I also purchased a couple of books of writing prompts and even visited writing prompt websites. These exercises helped improved my writing. 

3. I took classes and read books about other types of writing: mystery, romance, history, biography, and memoir were just a few.

4. I indulged in other creative endeavors. I found that when I took time to go out with my camera, doodle in my bullet journal and even visit art galleries, my own joy of writing returned.

Today I encourage you to take a long look at where you are with your writing. Ask yourself if you’re writing from a place of joy or a place of fear. Then leave a comment below, committing to a new season writing joy!

Don’t forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

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Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. No matter whether she’s talking to writers, entrepreneurs, or readers, her first advice is always “Find your voice, live your story.” As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives. Connect with her on her website, through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.