Do you avoid your writing? Maybe you have a long-standing project that’s been sitting on your shelf, making you feel stuck and frightened. Or perhaps you don’t have a project in mind but know you want to write…but you’re scared.
I get it! There are certain kinds of writing – proposals, requests, deeply honest personal writing – that are tough.
These days, there’s a lot of tough stuff on my writing plate. Sponsorship proposals. A book proposal for my illustrated book, Capture the WOW. This is scary stuff.
When I look at these to-write items, I tend to freeze up. I’ve seen this in my clients and students. We try too hard to look ‘professional’. We get all jargon-y and stiff. We lose the very vibrancy and authenticity that makes us and our ideas so compelling when we speak them.
This happened to me the other day. I was trying to incorporate the feedback my coach had given me on one of my proposals. Reading her words, my body drooped in despair and my stomach clenched with fear. My mind began doing mental flips as it sought escape…any escape. It was clearly time to check email and Facebook. Get another snack. Randomly re-pot a plant in the kitchen.
It sounds laughable but I suspect you have been there too! We often put this in the category of ‘lack of focus’ but it’s not really focus that’s the issue. It’s fear. We’re afraid, so we let our focus and commitment dissipate in the fog of insecurity and anxiety.
Luckily, I have an ally at the ready for when I get into this fear fog. My inner wise writer came to my rescue and set me straight.
“Just free-write it,” she said. “You know what to do.”
What a relief! I do know how to drive past these fears. I opened up a new document and just let my thoughts flow freely about the topic. It didn’t take long before I got the raw essence out onto the page and was able to sculpt it into something meaningful and good.
I took all the feedback she and my mastermind partners had given me and put it through this free-writing process. A few more design touches and I had sent the proposal out before 9 am Monday morning. What a relief!
For years, I have sworn by this free-writing process because I use it for every single thing I write. It saves my bacon when I am afraid, confused or simply unsure of what I really want to say.
I have been teaching this method since the mid-nineties and love how it helps people get into their writing groove. The students in my The Devoted Writer class experience so much freedom. When they write every day for 15 minutes, they learn a solid approach to overcome fear and. It’s a real joy to see them triumph over their inner critic in this way.
If you’re still held captive by your fear, I say it’s time to set yourself free and finally write what you want.
We’re gathering in The Devoted Writer classroom in May. We won’t be doing this again until later in the year, so if you want to experience the freedom of free-writing in a group, consider joining us. This class makes the difficult – and the fun – writing much easier.
“I had been unable to write consistently in the past. In your writing class, I felt supported in a way that allowed me to tap into the creativity and clarity within that was waiting to be released! Now I look forward to writing every day as a reward. I recommend The Devoted Writer to anyone longing to explore their untapped potential.” – Lorna
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