Saturday, August 27, 2016

What Are You Afraid Of? No, Really...

In my Write Fearlessly course, the very first writing prompt I give my writers is to write about what they are afraid of when it comes to their writing. I don’t require anyone to share what they write, but it always amazes me that I always come up with something different (I journal right along with the writers so that I’m not that weirdo just staring at them, waiting for them to finish). I found that I always use the same excuse as to why I’m not getting down to it, writing, and publishing my work: not enough time.

It’s easy to say I don’t have enough time because I am a pretty busy person. 10 months out of the year, I am a school librarian, which started back two weeks ago with in-service and the first day of school was this last Monday. I own a business, Fort Worth Writer’s Boot Camp, and I teach a session there once a month. I’m also working all the time to improve that business. I’ve recently started a publishing company, with the first publication coming out at the end of next month (that’s scares me to death since I know I still have so much to do on it!). Between reading, journaling, learning a foreign language, and sleep, as well as the upkeep of my house, it’s easy to see why I think I don’t have time to write.

The truth is, though, I do. I waste a lot of time. I am on social media way more than I’d like to admit. I’m working on that. If I were being honest with myself- and I’m promising that I’ll be more honest- I’m not writing because I’m afraid it just won’t be that good. What the hell!?! That’s just stupid thinking on my part. When it all comes down to it, the most important part of writing is just writing it down. Editing and cleaning up improves it. But I’m still, deep down, afraid that I’ll write crap. So I don’t. Or I don’t spend a lot of time on it. My novel I started writing in May? I’m still on chapter 1.

Never again will I use the “not enough time” excuse. It’s time to just do it.