Fear
of Commitment
There’s safety in the process of writing for
yourself. No pressure to produce or
perform, just the pleasure of puttering with words and calling yourself a writer. Constantly researching, always rewriting,
switching from one Oh Shiny! project to the next. But never finishing, never submitting. Sometimes, that’s enough, and that’s okay.
Writing is a wonderful, cathartic pastime.
But an author has to be willing to make the jump to Not as a Hobby
status in the eyes of the IRS. Make a
commitment to a critique partner, to a contest, to yourself. Go for PRO status. And get it out there. Welcome to being an author!
Fear
of Not Being Ready
It’s that constant nagging insecurity that keeps you
circling instead of moving forward. Just
another quick read through. Maybe it
should be a comedy instead of a mystery.
Maybe it should be in first person. First person is real popular
now. I should take a class on the Hero’s
Journey and wait until I have 3,000 friends on Facebook. Maybe I should throw
in a Highlander or a vampire. There
comes a point when you’re not making it better, you’re just making it
different. It’s time to let go and trust yourself. Put the vampire Highlander in your next book.
Fear
of Competition
It’s a dog eat dog world. You tell yourself you’ll
never be a Nora or Tami or Agatha or Dean. No, you won’t be. You’re not in
competition with them. You are your only competition. There’s always room for another good book –
especially in this new e-volution. You’re not fighting with other writers to
take their spot. You’re making a spot for yourself by writing the best book you
can . . . and getting it out there. Stop looking around and look toward your
own future.
Fear
of Exposure
Yes, someone out there is not going to like what you
write. I guarantee it. They will write a bad review. Someone is
going to be offended that you have sex in your book. Someone is going to look down their nose
because you published a romance or self-published or used a semi-colon. It’s
not personal. You are NOT your
product. We fear ridicule. We avoid criticism. It’s in our nature. And when you publish, you have your baby out
in front of the world and some will say it’s ugly. You can’t do anything about that, but you can
choose not to be intimidated. You can
write under a pseudonym. You don’t have
to read reviews. Remind yourself it’s just one person’s opinion and they’re
entitled to it. Just don’t hide your light under a basket. Be proud of that
accomplishment the majority of our society wishes they could claim. You’re an
author.
Fear
of Failure
Not everyone makes The Times list. Not everyone
wins a contest. Not everyone gets a 5 Star or even a 4 Star review. Not
everyone sells that first, second, third or thirtieth book. Does not making
that list, that number, that sale make you less of a person, less of a critique
partner, less of a writer? No. Look at those other would be failures out
there. Tom Clancy. Thomas Edison. J.K. Rowling. Failure is when
you give up on the chance of success. That’s when the door closes on your
dream. Don’t forget to rejoice in the goals you have reached.
Fear
of Success
On the flipside, sometimes the thing you fear most
is attaining what you’ve worked for. That
Second Book syndrome. I’ve sold. I’m an author. I’m at the top. Now what?
How can I match or perpetuate that success? Am I prepared for the pressure, the
deadlines, the interviews, the loss of personal time and space, the tours and
obligations? There’s comfort in anonymity, but when you’re in the spotlight,
there’s no place to hide. Think about
how you’d handle that success you dream of. Be prepared for the call up from the minors to
play in the Show so you can enjoy it if it happens. When it happens.
It all comes down to taking a determined step of
faith a la Indiana Jones, trusting that the path will be there to support
you. Faith in yourself, in your talent,
and in your dreams even when you have no control over the outcome. No risk, no
reward. Don’t look down. Don’t look to
others. Rather look ahead, or better yet, upward. And reach.
Nancy Gideon is the award winning author of over 54 romances
ranging from historical, regency and series contemporary suspense to
paranormal, with a couple of horror screenplays tossed into the mix. She works full time as a legal assistant, and
when not at the keyboard, feeds a Netflix addiction along with all things fur,
fin and fowl. Her latest release, PRINCE OF SHADOWS, book 8 in her dark
paranormal “By Moonight” series for Pocket Books, is now available as an
e-exclusive.Visit Nancy at http://nancygideon.com or http://nancygideon.blogspot.com.
PRINCE OF SHADOWS by Nancy Gideon
Pocket Star / 5-27-13
Held hostage until she chooses a
mate, Kendra Terriot must play a careful courtship game when choosing from
among the dangerous Shifter heirs. As a prince in the House of Terriot, Cale
knows with Kendra at his side he can be the leader his clan needs, but first he
must learn to become the kind of man she desires. In a treacherous race for the
crown, where weakness means death, to prove he’s not the beast his gentle beauty
fears, the only way to win her trust could mean surrendering his throne. But
the only way to win her heart could mean letting her go.
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