Fix Your Writing Fear — A Writing Hack

This morning, I woke up with a severe case of writing fear. I was, simply, afraid to write. This is hysterical (to me, or least ironic). Me, of all people! I write thousands of words a day, and have for decades. Writing — especially creative writing — is something I do quickly, easily, naturally. If you see my talking on my phone, or texting, or hammering away at my computer, it’s probably because I have a thought in my mind that I just have to turn into words and get written down somehow, somewhere.

It was not writer’s block. I have lots to write about, and I could feel ideas coursing through my brain and soul, even as I feared. David Kuhns, CyranoWriter, having a case of writing fear? That is just plain bizarre! I wallowed in that writing fear for a few minutes. Then I thought: “Dave! You do business process analysis, process improvement, standardization. What would you do if this were a manufacturing process problem?” Because of my business training I know that, with every obstacle or challenge in life, if you analyze it, you might learn something about yourself, about the problem, and about how to overcome your fear or challenge.

Business Analysis of Writing Fear

As I performed the mental analysis of my writing fear, I first thought: What has changed in my writing, or in my life, that would cause this terror? The answer is simple. During the past few weeks I’ve felt the very strong impression that I need to write more. I get the feeling that writing — even creative writing — will be the way I provide for my family.

As I started considering doing that type of writing, I tried to do some numeric analysis on my writing. In other words, my writing became a requirement that looked like this:

• I have to write 10 articles a day.
• Each piece needs to be at least 300 words long.
• Each article must have a sales pitch and a call-to-action.
• Each article must link to an ad or something to be sold (to make me money).
• I have to research and create new content.
• If I have a creative thought, or write something too short (such as a haiku), I need to incorporate it into a longer article that can be monetized.
• I need to do SEO on everything I write.

“What If” Writing Fear

Having to do all those requirements, while important and vital, gave me writing fear. I woke up thinking, as many writers do:

• What if I can’t find a new idea?
• What if nobody likes my writing?
• What if nobody can find my writing?
• What if nobody “clicks through” and buys anything?
• What if … what if … what if?

When that happens, self doubt and fear creeps in. Suddenly, the thought of “I can’t do that” settles into my mind. The thought of “Ugh, I don’t WANT to do that!” settles in my soul. Writing becomes a chore, like cleaning the toilet or taking out the garbage. It’s no fun anymore. There is no joy in writing.

Nuking My Writing Fear

How do I change — no, NUKE! — that writing fear? How do I perform a mega MindShift on Demand, as my friend Donna Blevins writes in her book,? First, I talked to someone I trust about my concerns. In my case, my wife, who leads Spirit-Led Authoring training, gave me huge insights. She said, simply, “Sometimes we just need to do what we’re told, without thinking about all the reasons why we should do something.”

“Don’t look at the end result. Just feel.” In other words, throw away (or at least don’t consider them as important) all the requirements I listed above. When the requirements get thrown away, the “What if” statements vanish, because it doesn’t matter.

Mind Blown.

Next, I recalled a phrase, a lesson, that I always teach my writing students. When they tell me “I don’t know what to write about! I don’t see things the way you do! How can I write more, and better?” I coach them: “Just write! Right?”

The very act of writing is what is supposed to happen. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 10,000 word article or a haiku or a limerick or anything in between. Just write!

I’m committed to following my own advice. 10 years ago, I started writing a poem or prose piece a day. You can find my CyranoWriter creative writing blog here. With more than 7,000 creative writing pieces posted, I know the concept of “Just Write!” works. Why? Because the more we see and write about, the more visions and thoughts are opened up to us, and the more we can see and write about.

Then we must trust.

Trust Why You’re Writing

In my fear, in my rigidity of HAVING to write, those two things are what I’d forgotten. I must trust the feeling I have that I’m supposed to write. I know I’m supposed to write from my heart, about things I’m passionate about. When I go back to that core value, that internal belief and knowledge that I’m supposed to write, the writing comes naturally, easily and, most importantly, joyfully.

It might be writing about writing (which is what this piece is about). It might be about a sunset, or fresh peaches, or NaturesGuy observations, or romance, or relationships, or child-rearing, or travel, or the scent of a wildflower bloom on a Georgia Civil War battlefield. It doesn’t matter what it is that I write about. I just need to write about observations and thoughts and things that bring me joy and happiness and “AHA! moments.”

Will I become wealthy from my writing? Will I get a job from my writing? Will thousands of people suddenly “Like” my posts and click through and finance our dream trip to It’ly? THAT DOES NOT MATTER! What matters is that I’m following my passion, doing what I’m supposed to do, writing about observations I make and thoughts I have and my feelings and my conversations with God.

How Writing Fear Vanishes

That’s the bottom line, really. Write what you’re supposed to write. Do what you’re supposed to do. Be who and how you are supposed to be, in authenticity. What is supposed to happen will happen when you do what you are supposed to do. When you do that, your writing fear vanishes. But if you fear, and stop doing your thing, something terrible happens.

Nothing.

And doing — and being — nothing is not what I want in my life.

Write on!

Writing Resources

There’s a reason my wife gave me such good advice. She’s LIVED it. And she’s written a Create a WOW course about it. You can find it here.

Also, check out her “Authors: Breakthrough To Creative Freedom” if you are struggling with a case of writer’s block.

David Kuhns

Dave has decades of writing and editing, Nature observation and connecting, and creativity experience. He’s written and taught: Web content, marketing and communications collateral, communications and business plans, curriculum development, book ghostwriting and editing, social media, technical writing, blogs, local search engine optimization, and thousands of creative writing works. Clients have included: F5, Wavetronix, AT&T, Microsoft, T-Mobile, Boeing, and assorted local businesses and non-profits. With his wife Marnie he runs SpiritTreeFarms.com and IgnitePoint.com