Writer’s Insecurity

If October is all about overcoming fears, let’s talk about how we face them. How do they pertain to writing, art, music, and any creative endeavors you partake in?

Your fears about writing are exactly what places a massive brick wall between you and the work you want to achieve. You can stare at it all you want, but it’s not exactly going anywhere.

It’s overwhelming, discouraging, and exactly why writers struggle to actually write. We’ve all been there, with an idea and a dream—goals that seem more unrealistic the longer you look at them. But how are you supposed to overcome your fears about your writing? It feels impossible.

Staring Fear in the Face

The easiest way to begin facing your fears is to acknowledge them. That’s a general piece of advice that doesn’t only pertain to creative arts. Knowing that you are scared of something—letting it be a fear or giving yourself “permission” to be afraid—is progress.

Trying to be okay with the fact that things might not go how you want them to—or expect them to—is worth being proud of in itself. Baby steps are still steps.

Fighting against your fears only makes it all the more palpable. Letting your fears scare you can be difficult, and fighting against them might seem far easier in comparison. It seems easy to fight them by throwing yourself into your work—digging for mistakes, trapping yourself by searching for perfect words.

Perfection and idealism are your own worst enemies. You don’t realize they are in your way, because being detail-oriented is a benefit, right? Having an eye for the smallest inconsistency, being able to pick a needle out of a haystack with no problem—it benefits you. But what if it’s hurting you instead? Picking everything apart to the most minute detail in every scenario, creating a labyrinth in your mind that’s impossible to escape—perfectionism only adds fog on top of you being unable to find your way out of all the fears you have, hazy in which lies all of the unknown possibilities that frighten you.

So, what are you supposed to do?

Sitting with all the fears you hold and letting yourself feel scared is a good start. It makes that impossible, endless maze just a bit less foggy and more manageable. But where do we go next? 

Comparing Compositions

We’ve all compared ourselves to someone at one point in our lives, whether it be unintentionally or through our own desire to imitate what we think is their appeal. The important thing to remember is: your work is your own. It’s individual to you—your writing style, certain descriptors you use, etc.

There will always be someone you could compare yourself to. Instead, try focusing on the aspects of your writing that you are proud of, even something small. Maybe there’s a description you really like, or a character you’re growing fond of—perhaps the piece speaks to you or flows extremely well. It won’t solve everything, but there is no real way to stop comparing yourself to others unless you focus on yourself.

It’s true that sometimes, comparing others’ work to your own can be helpful, as I demonstrated in my previous blog. But it isn’t everything. Comparing and contrasting negatively will harm your mental health and make you question the quality of your work constantly, when the one thing that makes it distinct is that it is yours.

Editing Errors

Having an editor reviewing your work can feel stressful. You worry about what readers will think or how many mistakes you unknowingly made. What a lot of people forget to remember is that editing is there to serve you.

Your editors (including yourself) are not out to get you. They may be mysteriously hidden behind a screen, but they don’t have a personal vendetta against you and your writing. They aren’t going to yell at you if you ask for their help, no matter how many times your brain tells you otherwise. Editors will give constructive criticism and feedback that may seem scary or overwhelming at first, but it’s important to remember that they’re both providing another point of view to the piece and aiding your progress. 

Are you worried that you’ve phrased things wrong, that there’s something factually incorrect, or your message could be misunderstood by readers? Editors can provide help with all of those things. So, while you’re writing, try not to focus on getting everything perfect. There will be fixes that need to be made whether you agonize over them or not. Many things will end up being reworked in some capacity, but it doesn’t mean the words weren’t worth writing to begin with. Improving something doesn’t mean it didn’t contain good attributes prior, it just means it’s worth putting more time and effort into. The most important thing you can focus on while writing is just that—writing.

A practice some people like to implement is “thought dumping,” or simply writing as it comes to you. Editing it yourself, censoring certain parts, or rephrasing can all come later. It might sound difficult or overwhelming if you’re stuck and unsure how to get your thoughts down on paper, but there’s always a way to get out of your own metaphorical mind prison. 

Writer’s Block

You put a pen to paper, or fingers to a keyboard, but no matter how hard you rack your brain, nothing comes out. Your words have turned to sludge, and your brain has melted.

The first thing you should do is listen to what your body needs, whether it’s considering your physical or emotional needs. Try stepping away and grounding yourself by talking to a friend or drinking a cup of tea. Distract yourself by listening to music or playing a game for a while. Sometimes, the best thing you can do to help yourself and your writing is to take a step back and look at it from a new perspective. Come back tomorrow with fresh eyes and a refreshed mind, and try again. 

You’re not a failure. You’re not bad at writing. This happens to every writer—no, every person. We all get stuck somewhere in life, whether we’re writing, composing music, working on a painting, playing a level of a game, or are simply frustrated with everyday tasks. We all need breaks. We all need time. 

Everything requires time.

Time to Begin

Beginning to write takes longer for some people than others, so going at your own pace is crucial to your writing. Rushing to make progress will only put more pressure on you. It takes all of the fun out of your writing, turning something you were excited about into a headache, and it can also reduce the quality of your work. Writing is a process that should be done with love, effort, and time. It shouldn’t be forced out, like a machine mass-producing products in a factory, or you’ll never be proud of it.

Finding what helps you to start writing can also help reduce fears of commitment, timelines, and progression. What if I don’t know how to end the story? What if the storyline is too fast-paced? 

Planning what you intend to do for each section can be incredibly helpful and ease worries you may have. But you shouldn’t think that planning has only rigid guidelines. You can have as much of or as little of a structure as suits your needs.

Having rough guidelines, no guidelines, or doing away with guidelines and just writing and sorting out the rest after are all valid ways of writing. There is no right way to write—it’s a form of self-expression just like music, art, sports, or any other hobby. It’s unique to each person: subjective, and beautiful. 

Writer’s Insecurities

I have a lot of insecurities with writing myself. No matter how much I practice what I preach, no matter how many times I attempt to overcome them, my fears are still there. So, I’ll tell you what I tell myself every time I do something that scares me.

It’s okay to be scared. 

Part of being alive is being scared. All of my favorite animals have been scared at one point. Everyone I’ve ever thought of fondly has been scared at one point. 

Being afraid doesn’t determine who I am as a person. 

I’ve said that in my mind so many times in response to the smallest and biggest things in my life. I’m terrified constantly of countless things, and I’m no doubt an overthinker at heart. A lot of the things I’ve mentioned throughout are all things I’ve struggled with, and still struggle with, firsthand. Your insecurities are unfortunately your own, and something that you need to navigate, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have people in your life who try to understand and help (including yourself).  

About the Author   

Nemo is an LYF administrative coordinator as well as a member of the blog and newsletter team. They’ve been an editor for our monthly theme blogs and are writing as we reintroduce the Writer’s Corner, newly rebranded as the Creative’s Corner, which is open for guest writers! If you’re interested in writing about your art or creative process, email LYF’s Editor-in-Chief at charlize.fernandez@thelyfoundation.org!