Your Writing Career: Facing Fear

Just now I sent off more info to an agent interested in a manuscript of mine. I'd put off sending the email for two weeks. Because of fear. The funny thing is, the fear of success can be more prevalent than the fear of failure, and when we're getting very close to seeing a dream come true, we often shy away because it's uncomfortable and scary.

I work with a number of writers who struggle with fears, and because I struggle too, I can relate. The thing I want to propose is: What if we approached fear with a playful attitude? What if we did something we're afraid of, every single day? There's an incredible rush of can-do after you launch that project, submission, story, poem.

Perhaps it's a story of your life you know you should write, but just the thought scares you. Perhaps it's approaching a writer and asking her to give you feedback. Or perhaps it's calling your estranged brother and telling him you love him.

So. What if we did the scary thing first, just one thing, every day? Gulp. Swallow. Begin...

Let me know how it goes!