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Confronting Your Fear

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Good morning everyone!

Have you ever had that one thing you were afraid to do?

CP Bialois
CP Bialois

Personally, my biggest fear is heights, but also jumping into something new. Let’s face it, we’re all creatures of habit and the idea that there are others out there waiting for us to trip or screw up doesn’t help.

As writers, often times it’s something as simple as writing a different character or switching genres. While both seem simple, there are pitfalls for each choice we make. If we typically write darker characters, it’s a formidable challenge to switch to the wholesome ones. Imagine spending years writing horror and then tackling writing children’s books as well. While not impossible, or maybe not hard for some, it can be daunting as we’re constantly looking over our work to make sure we didn’t use the wrong language or disembowel a character. The same goes for switching genres.

Each genre has certain dos and donts, but more than that, they also have hardcore fans that expect certain things. When their expectations aren’t met, they can be ruthless. What those expectations are, differ from one person to another, and that’s what makes it scary.

By: Kevin B 3

Each of us face our fears in a different way. We may research the genre (Don’t get me wrong, research is very important), talk to authors we know, and even join writing and critique groups to help find our way. After all of that, it can still be daunting to enter into a new arena, and that’s when my favorite method comes into play.

No matter what, we’ll always have some level of doubt or worry about our work, so why not go for it? Simply put, kick the door down and take the next step. What’s the worst that happens? No one buys it? If we’re happy with what we’ve written, it’s their loss, right?

Anytime I feel the tug of fear over whether to do something, I think of one of my favorite football players from my youth. To quote the great Lawrence Taylor, “Rush the quarterback, hell, see what happens.”

That first step can be easy and lead to great things. All we have to do is take it and change our path.