Posted in A.P. Roberts, On Writing

Inner Obstacles: Getting Through My Writing Fears

Posted on by aprobertsstories

I will freely admit that I am my biggest obstacle when it comes to writing. I get so caught up in my head that I go blank when I attempt to write. There is an inner list that causes me stress every time I open up my writing folder.

I have found a common ground to many of the items on that list. That commonality is fear.

No One Will Read It

I’ve mentioned a few times that I write for my enjoyment. It’s a craft that I enjoy and find relaxing. Therefore, it seems rather silly for me to be worried that no one will read my writing.

Unfortunately, I often find myself scrolling through the stats pages hoping that number went up. I cross my fingers that I’ve gotten another subscriber before I log into WordPress. And I’m disappointed if I have fewer views than I did the day before.

I get through this fear by reminding myself why I write. I remind myself of the binders of stories I have never shown anyone. This usually calms me enough that I no longer worry about how many people have read my blog posts.

No One Will Like It

This fear is seems quite similar to the previous one but is actually the opposite. This is the fear that people will read what I’ve written. This is also the fear that people will not like my writings.

I’m afraid that everyone who reads my works will leave criticism and flames. I fear checking my comments in case every second one tells me that I suck and should stop writing.

The only way I get through this fear is by reminding myself that I enjoy what I write as much as I enjoy writing it. I also read my works out loud to my SO or my mother. Neither of them will tell me to continue if they think it’s badly written. In fact, my mother is one of my favourite beta readers because she is not afraid to ask me questions and tell me what doesn’t work.

It’s Not Perfect

One of my personal blogging challenges is the “30-5” where I have 30 minutes to write and 5 minutes to edit before I post. This challenge was designed to help me get over my perfectionism which generally comes between me and writing.

To be honest, I’ve re-written this post several times before I began the edits. I’m not even sure that I’m happy with it now but at least it has made it to the blog.

I get through this fear by reminding myself that art is found in the imperfections. No one is perfect as perfection changes based on perception. If I get the post as good as I can for the time being, I can always return to it at a later date with fresher eyes and newer information.

Getting Through It

As you can tell, I have ways of talking myself through each of my fears. While I haven’t listed all of my writing fears as they vary from piece to piece, I have shared my three main fears and pep talks.

What are some of the inner obstacles you face when it comes to writing? Do you have pep talks to get you past your obstacles?

Author:

The AP Roberts is an extremely rare creature and there is only one known AP Roberts in the world. Usually off in its own little world, the AP returns to reality when it gets lonely. This elusive creature is rather difficult to catch on film, however will pose for drawings. The AP, though wild by nature, can be tamed and makes a wonderful pet. It should also be known that while the AP gets along with most creatures it has an intense fear of insects and large canines. The AP lives on a diet of mainly vegetables and candy but is not known to refuse food that is made and offered through kindness. The drink of choice for the AP is tea though it is known to drink water and juice. There is still much to be learned of the AP however, most agree that the writings of the AP are truly something to behold. Hopefully, one day the AP will find a good Agent creature who will introduce the AP's writings to a good publisher creature and the world will be able to read the AP's works.

9 thoughts on “Inner Obstacles: Getting Through My Writing Fears”

  1. I always enjoy your work. My stumbling block is that creepy voice in my head always asking the same question..what makes your opinion special, itty? sigh. Obviously, I just keep pushing on in spite of what is obviously a literally self-esteem issue.

    Like

    Reply

  2. My worst obstacle is hearing all the voices of the readers in my head as I’m writing: they’re critiquing and telling me they don’t like this piece of description or this character… it’s tough shutting out all those inner critics.

    Like

    Reply

    1. I’m so sorry for the late response time. I’m glad you feel I expressed the doubts well but I also wish no one else had these fears. Writing blocks are absolutely horrible things to deal with. How do you manage to cope with your doubts?

      Like

      Reply

Review