Writing – Nothing to Fear but Fear itself
ByAnnette Young
I can remember when I first began writing seriously. I wrote completely on instinct and adhered to creative muse allowing that to guide me. My writing was precious, like a new-born baby and I wrapped and coddled it, correcting it, re-writing it and nurturing it through to completion.
I then kept it safe and warm and away from everyone else.
Why did I do that? What possible use is saving your writing in a computer file or tucking it in a dark drawer and thinking …one day?
Having experienced this strange protective process in the early stages of my writing, I realised finally when I could no longer squeeze another manuscript into the drawer that I had to rethink my writing goals to ascertain what I really wanted to achieve. The answer was simple, I wanted to be a published writer of merit but I also knew that was impossible for as long as I kept hiding my creative merits . What was I scared of?
Rejection.
Sadly, rejection is likely to be inevitable…….
Many writers fear rejection until they have learned to face it a few times, some writers fall by the wayside and decide to keep their writing as a hobby whilst others, grit their teeth and learn to brush off their bruised egos and they start writing again.
Steely determination is the best way to overcome fear and determination to succeed eventually will have the writer…i.e. you, sending out the best possible work in the hopes that someone will see the merit within your creative endeavours.
Once I had overcome my sense of fear and faced the fact that in order to grow and develop my writing, I was going to have to dig deep and send my prized possessions out into the big wide world, I began to acknowledge my position on my writing journey, knowing that my destination might still be some way off, but at least I was heading in the right direction.
I saw rejection as a way to spur me forward and it worked because I learned to analyse why. Four steps forward and two back might seem a painfully slow way of reaching publishing success but, it also helps to build the strong foundations that is needed and when success is finally obtained, boy, is it ever worth the wait…!!
Good luck on your journey.
Annette Young
Hi Annette,
This is so true and this was brought home to me at the beginning of the year when I felt I needed a bit of a spring clean. When I had filled the 10th archive box with my writing I realised something had to be done. Either a mini bonfire, although there was enough material to start a major conflaguration!
I sat down, spring cleaning project forgotten and read through most of the material.
I was amazed when I found myself engrossed and appalled in equal measure. Some items were just drafts/story ideas/poems and others were the finished article.
However, I had never really seriously sent stuff out there for fear of rejection and yet writing is my passion.
My first port of call was to see if others were as enthusiastic about my musings as I was!
I joined a writing group. Before long, not only had I received expert advice and helpful criticism, I took over assisting the writing group on their alternate week without a qualified tutor. People warm to a person who displays passion for their craft.
This first step enabled me to have the confidence to test my work further afield. I started to attend poetry slams/story telling nights in local hostelries!
Recently I have heard that my poetry is being considered along with other poets for inclusion in a forthcoming anthology of North Wales Poets to be edited and published by a leading Poet. Furthermore, a short story I wrote has been accepted for inclusion in an anthology and the book is due to be launched at next year’s ‘Hay Literary Festival.’
So, it is never too late to start. I celebrated my 57th birthday last weekend and I think next year will be a continuance of a very exciting writing journey for me.
The moral being: ‘Spring cleaning can be enjoyable!’
Elaine Patrick